Best Harness Racing Betting Sites 2024
Betting on horses and harnesses is very popular in Australia and every year, thousands of punters wager their hard-earned money on harnessing events across the globe.
You may not be too familiar with harness racing and may have never placed a bet as it may have seemed too foreign a concept. One can’t help but imagine a Roman soldier in armour on a horse-drawn cart, but harness racing is nothing quite like that.
With this in-depth brief, we aim to give you all the need-to-knows about harness racing, including unique insights, tips, and important facts about this interesting sport. We will discuss how it works, how to bet and most importantly, where to bet on harness racing.
Listed below, NewBettingSites singles out the best of the best online betting sites for harness racing in 2024.
More About Harness Racing Betting
Harness racing is also known as the trots (or trotting) and is a very popular spectator sport in Australia. Every single year, significant amounts of money are wagered online with bookmakers and the TAB on harness racing. In Australia alone, there are 90 harness racing tracks, which hold over 1,900 meetings every year.
As mentioned earlier, there are many similarities between harness racing and horse racing. Like any other sports event, you should know the basics before wagering a bet on harness racing. The best way to explain what harness racing is all about is by pointing out the differences. Being one of the three racing codes, it’s important to understand what makes one unique from the other.
Horses used in harness racing is a Standardbred (an American horse breed type) as opposed to Thoroughbreds and a harness is driven by a driver, not a jockey. The horse pulls a two-wheeled cart (called a bike/gig/sulky) and the whip type is far lighter than what jockeys use during horse racing. Some betting terms are new such as trotting and pacing.
Trotting and pacing are all about the leg movement of the horse, are the two types of gaits for the competing horses, and there is a slight speed difference between the two. Pacing means the entire left side moves alternately with the entire left side whereas trotting is where the front and hind legs of different sides move forward at the same time.
The Standardbred that competes in harness racing is a particular horse breed, developed in North America, and recognized worldwide. This breed is recognised worldwide and can trace its bloodlines back to 18th century England.
How to Bet On Harness Racing
Choosing the best betting site that is right for you, has great odds, offers a variety of betting types and promotions, is the most important step. Here are the basics of what to do after you have been registered as a customer:
Step 1: After you chose the betting site that is most appealing to you, register your free betting account by following the easy prompts.
Step 2: Make your first deposit in the “Account” section by selecting the payment method of your choice.
Step 3: Find “Harness Racing” in the racing section and choose the market you wish to bet on, based on betting odds.
Step 4: Select your winning horse and decide what betting type you want to wager with.
Step 5: Enter your stake and select the “place bet” button to see your bet slip with your bet on it.
Before even wagering your hard-earned money, be sure to have a look at our betting tips. Making an informed decision will greatly increase your chances of a winning bet.
Harness Betting Promotions
With a recent change in legislation, Australian bookmakers have been prohibited from offering inducements and sign up bonuses as they are not allowed to lure customers to their betting sites. To make up for this, Aussie bookmakers now offer excellent promotions, bonus offers and betting specials to reward their loyal customers.
Have a look at our top picks for harness racing betting sites in 2022 and make your pick from any of our best recommendations of registered bookmakers. As a registered customer, you will have full access to all bonus offers and promotions the bookmaker may have.
Offering betting deals is the best way to keep loyal customers and reward them for making use of their betting platform. Here are our top picks for betting sites that offer the best betting deals in 2022:
Best Harness Racing Bookmakers
- bet365
- Dabble
- Ladbrokes
- Neds
- Boombet
Harness Racing Betting Types
Online harness betting types are like horse racing which typically include Win, Each Way, winning margin, exotics, and same race multis. When betting on the trots, it’s good to know how to bet and what all the betting types entail. Here are a few simple definitions of betting terms and types that will come in useful when betting on harness racing:
- Win: Put your money on the horse you think will win the race.
- Place: Pick a horse that you think will finish in the top three or four.
- Exotics: Quinella, Exacta, Quaddie and First Four are all exotic betting types to bet on with harness racing.
- Same Race Multis: Placing multiple bets on a single race is one of the newest innovations in harness racing. You have a better opportunity to win bigger with same-race multis as opposed to betting a single win or a place bet.
- Multis: When you select multiple runners to win or finish within the top 2, 3 or 4 positions. This betting type gives you greater flexibility and a wider range of prices. Daily double, running double and treble are all types of multis to wager as betting types.
Harness Racing Betting Tips
Being ‘in the know’ will give you the edge when betting on the trot, and NewBettingSites have got you covered on the most important things to know before you wager your bet. In the section below we give ten vital tips to give you your best chances of wagering a winning bet on the trots.
- Know the horse breed: Researching the physical profile and genes of the horse gives crucial clues to its attributes. Knowing it has natural speed or is a tougher, dourer type, will determine how it handles certain terrain and conditions.
- Know the horse class: Don’t always decide based on an overall winning record, look at achievements at higher-quality metropolitan events and how the horse competes against the best opposition. All horses are not equal.
- Recent form: Comparing form between the current and last season may very well tell you if a horse’s winning streak is at its end. An overall record doesn’t always determine a winning future outcome as a horse’s career can last for many years.
- Trainer stats: This person is most critical in the animal’s success as a racer. Study the trainer's statistics in terms of fitness training and care daily. Looking at the track record of a trainers’ animals will also affect the outcome. Well taken care of Standardbreds will perform better overall and is a determining factor to determining a win.
- Career record: Get familiar with the horse’s track record in terms of finishing first as career performances tell you exactly what the horse may likely be doing in future races.
- Recent race details: Besides the recent form, the career stats can give you a good idea of what a specific horse will be capable of at its peak performance. Look at seasonal, longer-term and career stats to determine if the horse you are betting on is near its top form.
- Distance record: You get sprinters and stayers and it's good to know how your chosen horse will do over a particular distance overall.
- Career prize money: A higher value horse will attract a higher quality of opposition and is a good indicator of a horse’s quality. The higher the prize money, the better quality opposition that horse can beat.
- Mobile and standing start record: Unique to harness racing, there are two different types of starting formats, and knowing how the horse responds (mobile vs a standing start) is critical to determining a possible winner of a race.
- Track size: While most thoroughbred tracks are the same circumference, n harness racing, tracks vary in size, which also influences how races are run. The race may be a half-mile oval (where one mile is two laps), five-eighths ovals (where one mile is about one-and-a-half laps) or seven-eighths tracks (where a mile is generally one lap with extra distance heading to the finish line). Knowing how the horse you want to bet on fares on the track size will also help a great deal in deciding your wager.
Harness Racing Betting Terms
If you understand the terms used in a harness race, it will help you place better bets and will make the overall spectator and betting experience much more enjoyable. Here are a few frequently used jargon or slang words you will typically hear on a day with the trots:
- Trotting: Describes the movement of the horse’s legs where the entire left side moves alternately with the entire right side.
- Pacing: Pacing means the entire left side of the horse moves alternately with the entire right side
- Standardbred: This breed is an American horse breed and is best known for its ability to perform in harness racing
- Drivers: This is the person operating the two-wheeled cart, strapped to a horse.
- Hoppers: This is an important piece of equipment for trotters, as it will help them maintain their stride to keep them from breaking into a gallop, rather than pacing.
- Stretching out: This term is used when a horse moves from a half-mile track to a mile track. Effectively, the horse will have to race around fewer turns with longer straightaways.
- Post position: The harness horses line up behind a starting gate that is mobile and drives in front of the harnesses at the starting point of a race.
- Second-tier: Same as above, a horse will sometimes start behind another entrant other than behind the initial starting barrier.
Live Streaming Harness Racing
Other than being right next to the racetrack, watching a harness race on a live stream is the next best thing. While not all bookmakers offer this feature, it is a hugely popular way to watch and place in-play betting. Australians can place in-play racing bets over the telephone. However, placing in-play bets online is not permissible.
Best Harness Racing Live Streams Betting Sites
- Dabble
- bet365
- Ladbrokes
- BlueBet
- TAB
Greyhound Betting On Mobile
Betting on your mobile device is the modern trend, and all punters want to sign up with a bookmaker that has a user friendly and feature-packed mobile app.
While not all betting sites offer a dedicated mobile app, all bookies can be accessed by using your mobile internet browser and sometimes works as good as the app would. Most online betting sites offer excellent mobile apps that are both compatible with Android and iOS driven platforms.
Punters want to bet on the go and having the option of watching live stream races is a huge benefit to seasoned punters. Nothing compares to the thrill of being next to the racing track, but if you cannot make it to the track a streamed event at least allows you to follow the action wherever you find yourself on the day.
Harness Racing Betting Overview
Break the mould and dare to bet on harness racing. There is something about having the trio of man, animal and “machine” that tickles the fancy of harness racing enthusiasts and you could too be in on the action. Betting on the trots might be entirely new to you, but it is certainly worth a try as it may just open a whole new world of betting options for you.
After our in-depth brief about harness racing, you can comfortably plunge into our list of top-ranked harness betting sites and wager your next bet on the trots. We have highlighted the best of the best and you can rest assured that you are registering with a bookmaker that is compliant, certified and 100% safe to bet on.
Harness Racing Betting Sites FAQs
What is harness racing betting?
Harness racing is a 2 wheeled cart driven by a jockey and starts slowly behind a vehicle (known as a “gate” car) shielding the racers with a barrier which, when out of the way, the horses gradually increase their speed. Similarly, to horse racing, harness racing has the addition of the cart in which the jockey sits as opposed to on top of a thoroughbred.
How do you place bets on harness racing?
Betting on harness racing is very similar to regular horse racing. You first find the meeting and race you want to bet on, add your selection(s) to the bet slip, and confirm your wager before placing your bet.
What is the difference between trotting and pacing?
Trotting and pacing are all about the leg movement of the horse and there is a tiny speed difference between the two. Pacing means the entire left side moves alternately with the entire right side whereas trotting is where the front and hind legs of different sides move forward at the same time.
What is the best way to bet on harness racing?
Picking the overall winner of the race will pocket you the biggest win, but wagering on the top two, three or four placements is also a popular way of betting. Choosing a sportsbook with great odds will increase the outcome of a potential winning bet, so bet with the best of the best.
Do all Australian bookies offer harness racing?
Most Aussie bookmakers will offer markets in all three racing codes as horse, harness, and greyhound racing are each popular in their own right. Sportsbooks that specialise in horse racing will usually offer the most popular harness racing events to wager on
What is a Standardbred?
It's an American bred horse that closely resembles the English Thoroughbred horses but has a longer body with heavier bones and flatter ribs. This type of horse breed is specifically popular to use for harness racing.
