Imagine learning a few simple horse racing trading strategies that enable you to make thousands of pounds in tax-free profit every year!
Sounds great, right?
That’s exactly what I thought when I started. After spending years mastering the Betfair horse racing markets, this became a reality for me.
Today, I’m sharing three of my best horse racing trading strategies to help you trade profitably…
Why Betfair Horse Racing Trading?
Out of all sports trading opportunities, horse racing trading on Betfair offers some of the best chances to profit. With multiple races daily, even small returns add up. But where should you start?
Loading up Betfair’s markets can be overwhelming. However, the sheer volume of races means any edge can be repeated and scaled consistently. With 15 – 40 races a day, an average profit of just £10 per race soon accumulates.
Developing profitable horse racing trading strategies took me years, but you don’t need to make the same mistakes I did. Below, I’ll share three highly effective strategies that can provide a reliable, low-risk approach to making money on Betfair.
Mastering just one of these strategies can be enough to create a stable side income – or for those willing – a lot more.
So let’s break them down, one by one…
1. Scalping: The Low-Risk Trading Strategy
Scalping is a technique where small, consistent profits are taken by exploiting short-term price movements. One of the most important aspects of scalping the Betfair horse racing markets is mindset.
Hesitation or reacting emotionally can undo previous progress quickly. Sudden changes in the market can mean several profitable trades are wiped out in seconds. However, quick execution allows profitable traders to stay on top.
Out of all the horse racing trading strategies that I use, scalping has long been my favoured approach. Consistently turning a small profit adds up fast and doesn’t require a large bankroll (or market knowledge). It’s the logical place to start in my opinion.
Execution will determine just how successful you are when it comes to scalping Betfair.
But it’s not always easy…
Struggling to profit from scalping the horse racing markets on Betfair?
If so, the chances are you’re either:
- Operating in the wrong setting
- Slow to react (poor discipline)
- Not executing well
- Over-trading
- Not suited to scalping (Focus on one of the next two strategies)
For most people, the main problem is discipline (I’ve been through it too). However, with the right stake management and patience, it’s completely doable. Usually, I find followers begin to struggle after they’ve had some success scalping.
Why?
Because once you make some money, the urge is to try and apply it to everything, every race and every situation. That just won’t work. This also leads to over-trading…
Choosing when and where we are active on the Betting Exchanges is a key attribute within a profitable horse racing strategy. The very fact we don’t have to trade everything is an advantage.
Below is a clip which can help you understand scalping better!
If you aren’t yet familiar with the interface in the video above, see this link.
What Is Over-Trading and How To Avoid It?
Over-trading is basically when you are trading too much. You are opening too many positions, or trading too many races during one session. Horse Racing trading is a game of fine margins, over-trading can really kill your profit. However, the good news is; doing the opposite means you can profit more from doing less.
Everyone with experience knows that over-trading is always difficult. But experienced traders know how important it is to avoid.
When you first start trading and making a profit it is exciting!
Suddenly you start thinking about if you can hit that profit on every race, how much would that be per day, per week, maybe you could quit your drop. However then in the next race you are hit with a loss and are brought back down to earth.
We have all been there.
How To Identify If You Are Over-Trading?
You might fall into one of these categories:
Technical Over-Trader: This is a person who looks back at charts to find a reason why they have opened a trade. They are using the charts to justify what they have already done, and not using the charts to determine their strategy. They’re not letting the market’s order flow guide their horse-trading.
Trigger-Happy Over-Trader: This is basically when you doubt yourself; mainly because of a poor run in recent form. Remember Horse Racing is a long-term game, with plenty of ups and downs. Doubting yourself leads to opening and exiting trades quickly which can lead to big losses.
Shotgun Over-Trader: This is a trader who tries to trade too many sports, or markets, at once. Because they are trying to do too much at the same time; they lose. This is probably the most common over-trading example. Always focus on quality over quantity. Again, only trade when you have the upper hand.
Increasing Your Chances:
Shortening the path to success means you will need to find situations where the price is fairly stable, and the volume of matched bets entering the markets is as high as possible.
Depending on the size of the stake you wish to use, you will need to consider the situation’s stability. It can be harder to get larger stakes filled quickly (I’m talking £500-£1,000+).
Being the simplest of horse racing trading strategies means you can implement this strategy in pretty much any market at one point or another. Although the key to success is picking the right time frame. The more money there is flowing through the market the easier it is to get your bets matched – limiting your risk in the process.
Think about peak periods in the market, where the most money is bet.
Full Post: Beginners Guide to Scalping
2. Back-to-Lay: Profiting from Fast Horses
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook. You’ll have seen me post Back-to-Lay Betfair trading opportunities from time to time.
The Back-to-Lay strategy involves backing a horse at a higher price before the race starts and laying it at a lower price in-play. If a horse is known for fast starts, its price will drop as it takes an early lead.
Fewer opportunities exist for this strategy each day, mainly because the criteria we use are more specific than those for scalping or swing trading. However, given the right selection and execution, Back-to-Lay can be extremely profitable. If you want to grow your betting bank faster, this may be the right horse racing trading strategy for you.
Using historical data is key when making the right selections. I use Sporting Life to research past race performances. If you’re looking for historical in-running prices, Timeform lists them, which can help with trade selection.
The big upside of this strategy is that returns can be high compared to the initial stake, making it an attractive approach for those starting with a lower bankroll.
Below is a video example of a back-to-lay trade on Betfair:
One thing to bear in mind with the video above is that you don’t want to have a large liability at the first hurdle in jumps racing. It’s a good idea to offset your liability by this point, just in case the horse falls.
The best horse racing trading strategies limit your potential downside while leaving room for profit, not the other way around.
3. Swing Trading: Catching Bigger Market Moves
Swing trading aims to capture large price movements before a race starts. If you can predict a significant swing in price, you can make much more profit from a single trade compared to scalping.
When swing trading, new traders often make the mistake of closing profitable trades too early and holding onto losing ones. Overcoming this habit is essential. If you learn to let winning trades run while limiting losses, your profitability will improve dramatically.
Some of the best races for swing trading include Maiden races, Selling races, and races with smaller fields. These tend to be more volatile, offering better trading opportunities.
Swing trading can be more scalable than scalping. Once you gain confidence, it’s possible to use larger stakes. However, patience and discipline are crucial to avoid unnecessary losses.
This live example shows how a consistently low-risk approach pays off:
Above: Swing trading just goes to show how you don’t need a huge bank to win nice amounts
What Are The Best Races For Swing Trading?
- Maiden Races
- Sellers
- Smaller Fields
- Lower Quality Racing
These are generally markets that are more suited to using swing trading on the horse racing markets. Maiden races and sellers tend to be more volatile.
Races with smaller fields will have a higher concentration of money on one single horse in comparison to larger fields where money is spread out across 10+ horses. This means that if one horse out of three is for example heavily fancied. You could see a graph that looks something like this.
Popular Post: £40.26 In Ten Minutes Swing Trading
Choose the Best Betfair Trading Strategy for You…
After over a decade of horse racing trading, I’ve learned that discipline and execution are key.
The best horse racing trading strategies aren’t the most complicated—they’re the ones you can execute consistently. Keeping things simple, mastering one strategy at a time, and being selective with trades will help you find long-term success.
Want to take your Betfair trading to the next level?
👉 Check out my Advanced Betfair Trading Course with 25 modules and 163 videos covering everything you need to master these strategies. Click here to learn more!
Is this post useful? Got a question? Leave a comment below!
72 thoughts on “3 Simple Betfair Trading Strategies for Horse Racing (Win More)”
Nice post. It seems that are a lot of similarities to tennis trading. Since I started to scalp I am on the winning path. Obviously we also have swings at tennis and back to lay (or the opposite) is also a way to make profit. It seems that the biggest advantage of the horses are the high amount of races, you can trade. At tennis I don’t see more than 4-5 opportunities a day. You have to wait for the right moment, some games are not tradeable (for example most first round matches, where a big favourite like Federer or Djokovic is involved).
Keep up the good work. It’s very interesting to read your blog. Perhaps you can put my blog at your link list. Your one is already at my blog roll.
Kind regards,
Martin
Hi Martin,
Thanks. I’ve added your Blog.
I have immersed myself in the racing markets over the past 6 months. After many ups and downs I do feel that it’s beginning to click into place. I’m starting to get a lot more consistent with my swing trades, and scalping is getting there (although I have focused primarily on swings). Thanks for all ur content. It has definitely helped me improve. Cheers pal
No problems Dean, it’s good to help out! There’s so much to learn at first… but looking back it all seems like common sense. I guess that happens with most things though right.
Hi Caan,
Am trying to purchase your Trading Guide by debit card but the “pay now” button seems to be “greyed out” so nothing is happening when I try to process the payment???
Can you help?
Cheers
Kevin
Hi Kevin, just checked it and seems okay now ?
Might be boring as you say but let’s look at that.
2 mins to 15 mins of work, and you can trade out on a profit of £20 before the race starts.
Do that 10 times a day, that is £200 a day tax free…
That’s a cool £5200 a month if you do it on weekdays and on Saturdays.
Yep that sounds boring…
Brill stuff Caan.
Downside is as you say, care must be taken but as long as you are okay with a few losses each month – attitude to risk that is means you don’t mind – as you profit anyway, this works. You will make mistakes especially if you go inplay a lot to go for better odds. I do it as a secondary income on top of my usual day job as a freelancer. I use Bet Angel, perfect for this method.
Hi Steve, sure its easy enough to get a bit bored after doing it so long though… but definitely grateful though for sure.
Oh yes, I agree. I get days when staring at stats on sites and bet angel so long numbs my brain. I tend to keep the time consumed under control partly as I run my own business too. Lots of sites are making scalping out to be easy and I want to add that on the surface, yes mostly but readers should not think ‘easy money’. That kind of approach brings easy losses. Newcomers here should take scalping carefully, and keep updated via your site and some others.
Hey Caan, flicking through your posts all the way to 2015… Your insightful wisdom isn’t ever looked over, still growing myself in the trades. Majority of my time at the end of the day is at break even, I’m exactly like you with the “Why?” And defensive. Recording also big help earlier on and journal the end of my day. Some quick practices that are helping me…
The majority of self reflective thinking that I thought to share is **(Enjoy the process and not solely on the winnings – that was when there are loses or wins your not reliant on those feelings, trading is so much more)** personal outlook anyway for those starting out @Caan
Best post about the topic I’ve seen out there. Keep it up, thanks. Paul.
Cheers, Paul.
Hi Caan,
im quite new to this but 100% serious about getting up and running. I was wondering if you could provide some one2one (online) assistance for me if i were to pay for the service.
Is this something you’d be willing to consider or not?
Hi Karita,
We don’t do any 1 on 1’s at the moment although you wouldn’t have been the first person to ask. It’s just a question of time management. However, the video course comes with a community now so that’s one way we have tried to add some extra support and individual help.
Cheers,
Caan
Would you recommend paceform.com to be able to identify horses that are likely to set the pace?
Hi Steve,
Haven’t used that resource myself.
Caan
Superb post Caan.
We’re massive fans at MMOB!
Be sure to follow us on twitter.
Thanks for this post Caan. It’s probably the best horse racing strategies post I’ve seen on the web. You’re YouTube channel has been of great use too!
Only question is: which of the 3 strategies are your preferred approach?
Thanks x
No problem Jan. I aim to please! There should be more content available on the channel soon… Caan
What software do you use mate?
Hi Chris, Geeks Toy 🙂
I’m 80 years of age so watching the ‘Scalping’ video lost me completely.
Betting odds I understand, this stuff.. no!
My first bet was in a factory. A guy had a timed bag to take to the bookie. 1959.
First bet – 3 sixpenny doubles and a sixpenny treble. Had a 7/1 and a 7/2 double up – never looked back. High street bookies took me to the cleaners. 🙂
Wish I could go back with what I know now!
Crikey Michael, you still bet now despite knowing how it all works?
Awesome article here Caan. Your free content is brilliant, and helped me out so much already! Thank you.
Stu
Thanks for the kind words Stu. I like to try and help as much as I can 🙂
Hay Caan, Great post and I’m learning a lot. I went and dabble the scalp method and i entered £5 stake @6.6 and exit at 6.2. All happened before the race, but after checking my Betfair statement, I haven’t won or lost at all. Is it because my stake was too low?
Hey Andrew, sounds like you may have not hedged up?
If you see the scalping Betfair post linked earlier in the article you’ll see that it’s best to use software (it’ll do the calculations for you). That way you can hedge up quickly. By backing and laying the same values at different prices you’d have only been left with a profit for the race if your selection won. And no loss on the other runners. Good luck with your scalping!
Hi Caan, As a newbie I had a similar experience at first but realised I had to hedge up or so I thought that is what what I was doing by clicking on the the sum offered in green at the top of the ladder interface. It seemed to work with no issues in practice mode but when I tried it for real nothing happened when I was on the side of a profit but when it when it went into the side of a lose red it worked fine. I have checked my settings in bout practice mode and real mode and can’t see any differences. any hep with this would be appreciated
Rchard
Hi,I’m just new on this platform.Pleaese how do I trade sport
Hi Caan, great post, really informative. I do back and lay trading. I back the night before on a horse whose odds look very good value and lay out generally about 20 minutes before the off. The scalping I’ve found a bit confusing. Does anyone else do this back and lay strategy?
Hi Lisa, do you mind if I ask how you choose the races / horses to back? I’ve tried this method with mixed results. How successful have you been with this strategy?
I do it this way as well, either the night before or get up early in the morning. After 9 O’clock it is no good as the value has gone and the market is settling down. Being a woman I don’t think I have the required nerve to trade 10 mins before the off, as it doesn’t give you much time to correct your mistakes. I’m going to give it a try though, and thanks to Caan I am learning more
Hi Caann,
How do you go about selecting your horses to back and lay for a profit? do you use Sporting life? If you could give me your criteria that would be great :).
Kind regards
Hi Jeff, best to check out the courses and products as there is more details there 🙂
Hi!!!
A question about horse race: preracing trade How many tits do you take 1-2 ticks?
And you’ll be fine if you’re going wrong, go out of your trade 1-2 ticks or scratch?
What size in% of your bank should run at prerace trade?
SINCERELY
Roger
Hi!
Question about prerace trading: how many% of the bankroll should you use for prerace trading?
SINCERELY
Roger
Trying to replace password . Bought racing info but password will not replace.
How do I set up Geeks Toy for 2 week trial?
Hi Roger, don’t quite understand this? If you’re having trouble resetting your password via the link, drop the support email a message with your details and they’ll get it fixed.
Dude. This is glorious. I’ve been studying, reading, watching for a while now but yet to take the plunge. I’ve been betting for years (Not too bad, got restricted on a few in the end lol), matched betting ran it’s course and arbs done ok.
It’s the scalping I really like the look of.. some real gold material on your site here.
Top stuff.
Cheers John, appreciate the feedback!
Good post Caan. I have been attempting some different horse racing trading strategies for a while now without too much success. It seems that I may have been doing a thing or three wrong. This blog has helped me see some of the situations in a different way, you are a wise fella. Wish me luck!
Hi Scott,
Glad you found it of use. Horse racing trading provides a huge range of opportunities each day. It’s why so many people focus on this first… if you miss something, the next one is only 10-15 minutes away maximum.
Caan
Hi Caan,
Really enjoyed watching a lot of your videos this morning.
After losing money on Betfair (hopefully this will offset future premium charges) gambling over the years I feel trading is the way I can be successful.
I don’t expect it to be easy and will ease myself in with small stakes just trying to understand how the markets operate although I think I have picked up some knowledge over the years. I really think there is an opportunity for me and my main concern is understanding the software and technology that goes with it. I plan mainly to trade pre-off horse racing and maybe some scalping on goals market in football matches. Do you have any advice for me? Thanks.
Hi Andrew,
Obviously I am biased with it being such a big part in my life, but trading is certainly the way to go for many reasons. Logic being the main one. If software concerns you have a search on the sidebar of the blog, plenty to help you out there for free. Horse racing trading strategies often require a decent software setup as there are so many moving parts inside of the live show. But like anything in life, the larger the barrier to entry, the bigger the prize on the other side.
Cheers,
Caan
Hi Caan,
Thanks for the reply.
When you mention the software set up are you talking about trading software such as Geeks Toy? I set up the 14 day trial on Monday but while I do the learning not sure how much I’ll use it. I’m going to start the video pack course this morning and try to be as patient as possible for now (which isn’t one of my better traits). Thanks.
Boa Tarde Caan Berry . Excelente trabalho.
Comprei uma treinamento pré-live em cavalos e o livro com cento e oitenta e oito paginas referente ao Guia de Negociação em Pre corridas mas não estou conseguindo a tradução do Ingles para o Português no Google Chrome. Esta protegido. O que devo fazer?
Hi Rick, it’s not hosted inside of google chrome – this would be why. Please contact support with your specific account details.
Why did you chose to scalp the second favorite instead of the favorite at Cheltenham?
Hi,
I’m looking for some help as I know nothing at all about betting but want to try the back to lay betting on betfair- I have an account set up. I’ve been watching tutorials over and over and just not getting it, and also believe that I will need a free app to do this on IOS. Can you please help and explain in the simplest way possible how to guarantee profits , and just how you go about this type of betting? Thanks
Hi Caan
Question I am a subscriber to a tipping service A greater number of times the horse that is tipped firms quite considerably .The best price is with the bookies eg i could back a horse at 4/1 and sp would be 2.70 how do you make a profit from this scenario . At the time of day the tips are sent out there is not much happening within the Betfair markets . Hope your well wait for your reply .
Thanks James
Hi Caan and congratulations on your amazing service!
My question is whether you have trading strategy advice for extra places where you can win both the back and lay bet should the horses covered have landed the extra places.
Also if you can comment on whether we could use Betfair’s sportsbook Edge where one can add extra places themselves in conjunction with or without Betfair’s exchange where we can get the 2 3 4 5 6 places option on UK/IR races to play with.
Thanks in advance for your reply and again for your awesome valuable contene!
Yes there are other horse trading strategies that utilize things like extra places but they aren’t so much Betfair trading related. If you take a look on the blog and search function you will find them. Betfair sportsbook isn’t as much interest to me as I’m stake restricted there. Betfair Exchange is the focus for horse trading.
Thank you for this article Caan it was very insightful and useful I will be sure to employ these strategies when attempting my next pre-race trades on Betfair.
Glad to hear it. Successful trading is all about managing the risk effectively.
Thanks, Richard. They’re all a great place to start for any profitable horse trading strategy. Building out from these strategies is a wise thing to do!
Which of these horse racing trading strategies do you think of the most effective Caan? I have done some matched betting but I feel a bit overwhelmed by this I just want to make £100 a week really.
Richard
I don’t think one is better than the other they’re just different approaches.
Which strategy makes you the most money the fastest? Haha
Haha great question! Pre-race swing and scalping are the bread and butter that make the most money. Lots of opportunities for those too.
Gday Caan – I just come across your YouTube vids this afternoon & was particularly interested in your strategy on looking at how much the market has moved 25% drop? As each race would have a horse that has moved the most but doesn’t necessarily represent good value…
Hi Steve, can you re-phrase your question? Market drops happen all the time but the smoothest are usualy pre-race horse trading.
Today I Just had a dabble on your front runner list 13-30 Dubai Hope, £7 profit in 10 secs . I greened up at £9 for win or £5 if it lost (which it did) but wasn’t greedy and took middle ground..
Cheers Caan I’ll have to look more into these trades
Nice result! Don’t be greedy, trading is all about having an edge over the marketplace.
Hey I’ve watched ur videos and YouTube and wondered if u can help me or give me legitimacy on the sbk betting agency. I’ve got £50 in there from free bet winnings but they won’t let me withdraw as they have an ‘issue’ with my bank. Is this a legit issue.
Not really something I’ve played with. Exchanges and trading are the focus here…
I follow your videos on you tube and have for a while now. However, I can’t find one that covers this topic. Do you think that the new finance checks and accounts suspension are as likely on the exchanges as they are on the sports books as were betting peer to peer rather than the house? I’m only asking as I’m getting quite successful on the exchange and I don’t want to have my account suspended or details asked for when I start withdrawing profit. Thanks.
The checks are a pain but on the exchange they don’t use them to target profitable horse racing traders. If you search the blog on the sidebar menu you’ll find other articles about those things.
Hello! Could you please help me with a self-excluded Betfair account. I want it to be reopened and according to the legislation in my country, it can be reopened after 6 months from the closure. But the support people don’t want to honor my request
Sorry Alexandru but I think there is strict reasons they do this, I can’t help here.
Wow, the 3rd strategy you mentioned is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been struggling to consistently make profits in horse racing and this post has given me a renewed sense of hope. Can’t wait to try it out and see the results for myself. Thanks for sharing!
Sure win
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