Making Money: Flat Racing on Betfair

So you have decided that this is the year you are going to win big during the flat race season, but this seems near enough impossible, right?

The beginning of a new flat race season can seem utterly perplexing at first, however there are some things that you can do to increase your chances.

The transition from jump racing to flat is one that confuses many and it is no surprise, the weather can wreak havoc with the condition of courses and markets tend to fluctuate more than at any other time. The biggest problem though can be found once looking upon the lineup for each race; the amount of new horses can make it extremely tough to make money because you have no clue of how good they will be.

Risk Taking

This time of the year sees the most amount of risks being taken because, unlike later in the season, there is no form guide to go by and everyone tends to follow patterns in the market to find out who is worth a punt. You will find that the market changes on an almost daily basis because people just don’t know who to back as there is limited information regarding just how well each horse will run. The biggest driver of the market is money; if one horse starts getting a bit of support, everyone else will follow.

Solid Signs To Look For

Despite this, there are some key signs that could put you in a winning position. Firstly, the horse’s behaviour plays a pivotal role early in the season. For example, if a horse is noted as being ‘nervous’, this could affect its ability to run well. Secondly, as there is no turf racing during the winter months, you will get horses making their seasonal debut. You will want to look out for horses that have had experience, even just a couple of years, as they are likely to have improved since their last outing.

This effect that takes place at the very beginning of a new season generally wears away as form guides are built up and the market has significantly more knowledge, rather than going in ‘blind’ so to speak. By October, you will find that all is normal once again and the market will be at its highest point of confidence.

Ultimately, although the early season can prove tricky to make money, its full of opportunity, be it a different one. As long as you go in with your eyes wide open expecting volatile markets, there is some money to be made. Volatile doesn't necessarily have to mean dangerous in this scenario though as it more explains how a small move will be jumped upon very quickly. There are still good trades to be found so that even if the ‘favourite’ doesn't win, you will still be pocketing a profit through trading it.

Trading volatile markets often catches out newer traders as the speed volatile markets can move at can be quite overwhelming. The best way to cope with a volatile market is to ensure you are executing trades in a profitable manner, defensively. The most volatile markets will test any manual traders confidence.

Related Video: Defensive Execution