Horse Racing Betting Sites in New Zealand

Our experts have been writing about betting for years and they are also enthusiastic bettors themselves. This means that they have been on both sides of the equation, allowing them to gain a real wealth of experience and expertise in the world of betting. Whether you are looking to find the best racing sites, the top online bookmakers for features, the best sites for welcome offers or anything else, Betpack is your one-stop shop. Let's dive in to see what New Zealand's best horse racing bookies have offered you!

Best Horse Racing Bookmakers in New Zealand

As mentioned, finding the best horse racing bookmakers is not particularly easy to do sometimes because most of the horse racing betting site options will claim they are in the upper echelon of racing sites. This is why using our expertise at Betpack is so important.

Our unbiased experts do everything they can to ensure that you are only ever given the honest reviews and opinions of our writers who have been in the game for years. This means that when you come to signing up with a horse racing bookmaker to place a free bet on the best horse racing markets, you will know that you have gotten all of the relevant information without any of the hassles.

Read on to find out about the top horse racing betting options and how you can sign up with the top racing sites in the game today.

Popular Horse Racing Events at Online Bookmakers

Much like any sport of betting opportunity, horse racing provides a glut of major events that people can watch and bet on. Some have become the place to be when a specific festival or set of races comes to town. This will usually see both lovers of horse racing and those who had little interest in the sport on a day-to-day basis flocking to a venue to enjoy the festival.

There are a huge number of major festivals played out all over the world each year, with a range of horse racing odds on offer alongside horse racing betting promotions. Below, we have listed a number of the biggest and best horse racing festivals, with bookmakers flocking to provide the best horse racing odds and free bets for these occasions.

The Grand National

The Grand National way back in 1839 and has become a mainstay of the horse racing calendar ever since. The event has quickly become the most well-known and valuable chase in the world, with 40 runners looking to manoeuvre the 30 fences. The meeting takes place over three days, with millions tuning in to watch on TV. The event is one of those racing events that many people have bet on whether they have an interest in racing odds or not, with some people placing multiple bets on the festival. Around 150,000 people make their way to Aintree in April each year to watch some of the most exciting action in the world of horse racing, with bookies flocking to offer Ante Post betting, free bet stakes and best odds guaranteed on multiple bets.

The Triple Crown

In British horse racing, the Triple Crown refers to a colt or filly that wins the Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby and Saint Leger in one season. The Triple Crown in the UK is seen as harder to secure than its American counterpart, but there are some important differences. While the British races are split by around four months compared to four or five weeks in the American version, there are big differences in the distance, with the Two Thousand Guineas around one mile, The Derby being 1.5 miles, and Saint Leger being 1.75 miles. This tests the versatility of a horse through the differing distances.

Dubai World Cup

The Dubai World Cup takes place on the last Saturday of March at the Meydan Racecourse in the UAE. With a prize purse of $12 million on offer, the Dubai World Cup is the most valuable race of the night. The event was first held back in 1996, with horses from the UK, USA, France, Japan and the UAE allowed to enter. Now, the competition is open for southern hemisphere three-year-olds and above, with northern hemisphere thoroughbreds that are at least four being allowed to enter. The only dual-winning Dubai World Cup champion came in the form of Thunder Snow in 2019.

The Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is a real highlight of the horse racing jumps calendar. Held in Cheltenham in Great Britain each March, the Cheltenham Festival is visited by well over 260,000 people and ranks as among the top 10 sports events in the UK every year. The Cheltenham Festival boasts some of the greatest names in jump racing, with the winners at the competition etching their names into the history books. The horse racing competition takes place over four days and brings in a huge amount of money for the area. Horse racing sites flock to provide free bet offers to their customers, with some of the most generous free bets and horse racing odds available during the Cheltenham Festival.

Queen Mother Champion Chase

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt Steeplechase that is held in the UK during the Cheltenham Festival in March. It was inaugurated back in 1959 and is held on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a two-mile distance with a total of 13 fences. The purse for the event stands at around £400,000 as of 2023, with Badsworth Boy being the most successful horse after winning in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is one of the most popular and well-known racing festivals in the world. With a huge jackpot of over $8 million on offer, the event, which takes place over five days, is the go-to for fans of horse racing. The greatest riders come to the event each year trying to clinch immortality, with former-greats taking their seats in the stands to watch the action unfold, while there are seats reserved for British royalty too, with the dress code seeing only those wearing their finest clothes allowed in.

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is one of the most popular sporting events, having first been run in 1865. Occurring in November each year, it is played at the Melbourne Flemington Racecourse with a total length of 3200 meters. The event has become incredibly popular and is watched by people across the world.

Epsom Derby

The Epsom Derby is held in June each year and has cemented itself as one of the top racing events on the calendar. With its first run back in 1780, the Downs Racecourse sees over 100,000 people make the trip to watch the action with celebrities and royalty all making the trip. There are some huge races at the Epsom Derby, with the Investec Derby being the one everyone wants to win, with £1.5 million on offer as a potential prize.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a massive event on the racing calendar, and it is seen as the biggest and best racing event in America. The race is run over 1 and a 1/4 mile and is a classified Grade 1 race that is held on the first Saturday of every May. The Churchill Downs in Louisville is the event for this incredibly prestigious and historic race. There is a massive $2 million prize on the show for the winner, with the best three-year-old horses, top trainers and jockeys all making the trip to battle for the prize. This is seen as one of the top races for bettors to get involved with too. Bookmakers flock to provide betting options to their players, and this can see bettors cashing in on great odds. This was put on a show by the brilliant Country House, who won the most recent race despite coming in at over 60/1 with some bookies. This race gives bettors, old and new, all of the excitement and unpredictable action that we have come to expect when watching the races.

Preakness Stakes

May doesn't just boast the Kentucky Derby, it also has the Preakness Stakes held on the third Saturday of the month. Held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, the Preakness Stakes is the second race in the America Triple Crown and is run over 1 and 3/16 miles on a track. The event sees the best three-year-old males contest the race, while it has been won on five separate occasions by a filly. Like the Kentucky Derby, this is also a Grade 1 race.

Horse Racing Betting Odds

Whether you are betting on UK horse racing, tennis, cricket or anything else, you should always try to bet with the best odds. If you bet with the longest possible odds on a certain bet, then you stand to win more online betting than you would when putting the same size stake down on shorter odds.

This is why we implore you to bet with the best odds guarantee. This will see you wagering at the best possible odds that have been offered for a specific race if those odds are to change. Horse racing bettings selection can be difficult to make at times as the odds can change so quickly. This is why we suggest utilising horse racing betting tips when online betting. This will see you given a helping hand when it comes to trying to wager on different market options, while the tipster will always be looking for the best bet with the best racing odds. This means that whether you are betting on the Grand National or any other live horse racing, you will always be with the best racing odds.

Horse Racing Betting Markets in New Zealand Bookmakers

As with any sports betting option, there will be certain elements of the gambling process that are new to you. Whether this is how bet settlement works through free bet stakes for horse racing, what the best odds guaranteed are and how Ante Post horse racing works, there will be elements you need help with. Below, we have noted down some of the betting markets you can enjoy when you start betting on horse racing.

To Win

This is the most simple racing betting market and works in the same way as if you were betting on your favourite football team or a specific tennis player. Here, you will back the horse that you think will win the race. If your horse finishes second or lower, your bet will lose. If your horse wins the race, then your bet will win. When novice bettors start with horse racing, the to win betting market is usually their first port of call.

To Place

This is the type of market that helps you to increase your chances of winning, although it will see your odds shrink. Here, you will win if your selected horse finishes in first or second place. The odds on your horse in this market will be shorter than the to win market as there are two possible ways you can win. This market is particularly good if you are not sure which horse to back or if there are a few runners that are predicted to battle to the end.

To Show

This market is an extension of the to place market. Now, you can increase the chances of not seeing your racing bet lose but winning if your horse finishes in first, second or third. While the to place market will provide shorter odds on a specific runner than the to win market, the to show market is shorter than both of them as you can win if your horse finishes anywhere in the top three places.

Each Way

This is a variation on a place bet, but it is slightly more confusing, meaning that newer bettors tend to bide their time before utilising this market. Here, you will place two wagers. One wager will be to win, with the other to place. This means there are different payouts for each result. Usually, most bookmakers payout on the top three placement at a quarter of the odds you backed originally.

System Bets

A system bet, which is also known as an exotic bet, is far more complicated than a straight bet. They are a strategic and systematic way of betting with a huge range of wagers. They can look very complicated and scary due to the large number of bets and high stakes, but they are quite easy to understand when you break them down.

Double

This sees you making two selections for different events. Both must win in order for your bet to come in.

Reverse Forecast

When getting involved with a reverse forecast, you will try to predict the top two horses in the order they finish, and you must stake both outcomes.

Tips for Choosing the Best Horse Racing Bookmakers in New Zealand

When you come to trying to find the right site for you, you can make things a lot easier for yourself by following a few simple steps. Our experts have created a few steps that they think are vital when it comes to finding the best horse betting site for you. This means you can sign up and enjoy the range of free bets, Ante Post horse racing, bet settlement options, and the best odds guaranteed.

Find your horse racing site

Your first step is to find the horse racing betting site for you. If you are to do this on your own, then we recommend making a note of all of the available options and what they do and do not offer when you come to betting. This will include making a qualifying bet on fixed odds horse racing options, other offers, features, markets, odds and much more. However, if you decide to bet with Betpack, then you can make the most out of the expertise and research of our experts. They have gone to great lengths to ensure that you only ever bet with the best betting sites available to you, with their no-nonsense approach to helping you ensure you are only ever shown the best sites that are available to you.

What offers do you want?

While offers like free bets are not the be-all and end-all of betting, they are important. If you are offered free bets that are not particularly generous, or the terms and conditions on your qualifying bet are awkward or the free bets' valid period is short, you can assume the bookie will not offer particularly good existing customer free bets. On the flip side of this, if new customer free bets have easy-to-unlock qualifying bet parameters while the free bets' valid period is fairly long, then the existing customer free bets will likely follow the same trend.

Free bets help to ensure that you expand your available playing pot. Some bookmakers will provide a lot of generous offers in their free bets and they should not be ignored. However, too many bettors have decided to make a qualifying bet with generous free bets offered by sketchy bookies. This is a bad idea. Our experts at Betpack will only ever recommend free bets from bookies that are safe and legitimate, so you can make your qualifying bet safe in the knowledge your details are safe.

Security & features 

When it comes to betting, you cannot enjoy free bets or betting markets if you feel your money and details are not safe. We recommend that you only ever bet with a site that is licensed and regulated by the relevant authority. Our experts at Betpack have researched and tested all of the available bookmakers, meaning we have seen our fair share of safe and unsafe bookies. Our writers will only ever recommend the safest and most trustworthy bookmakers to you, meaning you can enjoy your free bets safe in the knowledge that you are betting with the best.

With regard to features, everyone is different. While some bettors want free bets, fixed odds and live streaming when they sign up, others will want a range of in-play markets, bet builders and more.

Betting markets & competitive odds

One of the most important things to a potential new customer is that they are able to enjoy a range of betting markets. This transcends betting as whether you are a football bettor, a tennis bettor or a horse racing bettor, you will want to have a range of markets to bet on. All of the top betting sites that we have listed on site will provide this for you as it is such an important facet of gambling. You will not be happy constantly betting on one market and one market only. Perhaps you have failed to pick a few winners or you just fancy a change as you are a bit bored and want to use your free bet with another market. By playing with a bookie that provides a lot of betting markets, you ensure you can keep things fresh.

As far as very competitive odds go, this is vital. Betting at shorter odds will mean that your potential pool of winnings is reduced. Frustratingly, this is a common occurrence for many bettors as they choose to bet with a site that rarely offers good odds. Our experts have searched high and low for the sites that offer the best odds alongside those that offer the best odds. By selecting one of our top-rated bookies on the site, you can ensure you are always using your free bet with top-notch odds as standard.

Conclusion

When you come to betting on any sport, you need to ensure that you do as much research as you possibly can. Novice bettors will not know where to get the best free bet offers, why excellent odds are so important or which betting markets are the best to use. For experienced bettors, taking time to look at the top sites will enable them to put their time into a bookmaker site that gives back as much as they take.

Our experts have done everything in their power to ensure that you only ever bet with the best betting sites. For horse racing, our experts have gone to each and every site that provides markets for horse racing and researched every element of them. This ranges from their welcome offers and their betting markets to their features and payment methods. If you have a question about a site, our experts will likely have the answer. You can utilise their expertise by heading straight to our dedicated list of the top horse racing betting sites and reading what they have to say.

As ardent bettors and expert writers, they are able to provide a well-rounded overview of the site. Alongside this, we value integrity and honesty above all else, meaning that we provide you with honest reviews of each and every bookie. This means you can bet with us in the knowledge that giving your honest reviews is at the top of our list of priorities.

When you come to placing your free bet with the top horse racing site, we always recommend that you take your time to fully learn and understand how to place bets and a free bet with a site. Whether this is knowing which payment methods are blocked from unlocking a free bet, if you can live stream events, if they offer top-notch odds or fixed odds, and more. Our experts can provide the answers to a lot of questions and shine a light on a number of different elements of the site, but we always recommend you take your time before signing up.