Online horse racing betting at Circus

Circus, the website for betting on horse racing

Circus is the place to be to make all your online sports bets on more than 50 different sports. Horse racing has long been one of the most popular sports among sports betting enthusiasts and definitely couldn't be missed from our betting offer. We therefore have a wide range of betting options for horse racing that you can enjoy.

Would you like to try your luck, but you don't know which horse to bet on? Don't worry, below we will give you some tips and useful information for placing bets and increasing your chances of winning.

Horse racing

In a horse race, several horses, ridden by a rider or jockey, compete against each other to reach the finish line first. Pretty simple, right? Well, there is actually much more to it than you might think. There are lots of factors to consider when placing a bet on a horse race.

A few of these are the surface of the racetrack, the condition of the ground and the chosen discipline. Distance also plays a role: one horse might excel in sprints, but other horses might be better at long distances. Finally, weather conditions can also be important. Discover all the elements you need to keep in mind when venturing out onto the racetrack.

The different disciplines

Horse racing consists of several disciplines. The popular saddle trot races are held over a distance of 1,800 to 3,000 meters. The jockey rides their horse and encourages it to finish as quickly as possible. The harness races are done with a "sulky", a cart with two wheels that the jockey sits on to drive their horse.

In flat races, the horses compete against each other at a gallop over a distance of 900 to 4,000 meters. In jump races, the horses have to traverse a racetrack strewn with various small obstacles such as hedges, barriers or pools. In a hurdle race, the horses have to overcome bigger obstacles such as fences. This means for jump and hurdle races, the speed of the horse as well as its jumping technique are really important.

If you regularly place bets on horse racing, you will also occasionally run into a handicap race. This is when the strongest or favorite horses are given extra weight to carry during the race so they are disadvantaged. If the horse still manages to win in the race, this horse is called a "Handicap Horse".

Several horse races take place every day, meaning you can place a variety of bets at Circus. Choose your favorite discipline and place your bet. You can then live stream the race on Equidia to see if your horse can beat the others. 

Turf, dirt and all weather

The terms turf, dirt and all weather refer to the surface of the racetrack. You should always keep the surface in mind when placing a bet on a horse race as it has a direct impact on a horse's performance. In a turf race, the horses run on a grass race track and in a dirt race, the horses run on a sand surface. An all weather race means that the race is held on a surface that can withstand all weather conditions. 

The horses and jockeys

Several types of horse breeds compete in horse racing, but English thoroughbred horses bred specifically for the sport are usually the fastest. When you start betting online on horse racing, it's a good idea to do your homework in advance and research the horse's previous performances.

If you click on a horse's name, you will see information about the horse's age, gender, parentage and trainer. You will also find an overview of its latest achievements. These achievements are represented by a series of numbers and upper and lower case letters. They indicate the place the horse finished in, any mistakes made and the discipline. Based on the performance you can determine which discipline a horse specializes in.

Discipline overview:

The biggest horse races

Several horse races are held worldwide every year. The international horse races that every horse racing fan can look forward to including the Arc de Triomphe in France, the Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National in the United Kingdom, and the Breeders Cup in the United States.

There are also hippodromes that stand out every season, such as the Hippodrome de Vincennes in Paris, the mecca for trotting races. For flat races, the Chantilly and Longchamps racetracks are the best known.

In Belgium there are five hippodromes where trotting races are organized: the Hippodrome Wellington in Ostend, the Jekerhippodroom in Tongeren, the Hippodrome Waregem, the Hippodrome Kuurne and the Hippodrome Wallonie in Ghlin. 

How do you bet on horses at Circus?

At Circus you can experience the sport even more intensely and enjoy the best odds on online horse betting or turf betting. You can bet on both Belgian and international competitions and various disciplines. It's really simple: choose a horse race, place a bet on the horses with the best odds and follow the race live from your seat. But how exactly do you place your bet?

Circus offers horse racing bets in a common pool. This means there is no limit on winnings and the standard bets are guaranteed in the offer (Simple Gagnant, Placé, Tiercé, Quarté, Quinté, etc.).

You can bet on one or more horses, in an exact order or not. The easiest type of bet is choosing the horse that will be the sole winner of the race. This bet is called "Simple Gagnant". If you choose "Simple Placé", you win if your horse finishes in the top 3 when there are minimum 8 runners.

You can also place bets on two horses. With a "Couplé Gagnant" you bet on the 2 horses you think will run across the finish line first and second. With a "Couplé Placé" you bet on 2 horses that will be in the top 3.

You can also place a "Tiercé" where you bet on the 3 horses you think will reach the finish line first, regardless of their order. With a "Quarté" and "Quinté" you must respectively choose the 4 or 5 horses that cross the finish line first and the order they will finish in.

With a "Multi" bet, you choose 4 to 7 horses and you win if you choose the correct first 4 horses in any order. Finally, with a "2sur4" you can also choose 2 horses that you think will finish in the first 4 in any order.

Online betting at Circus: horse racing and so much more

Do you prefer other sports and feel like taking a gamble? Then take a quick look at our other sports betting and tournaments.