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About 90% of horse racing punters will make a loss gambling in the long run.

For the majority of these punters, laziness when it comes to form study and poor bank roll management are the main reasons they lose money.

This article aims to help show those 90% of punters that a little effort can reduce losses and lead to more profitable betting when skills are improved.

Why Are Horse Racing Punters Lazy?

The majority of punters neglect studying form due to time constraints, information overload, and misconceptions about complexity. This 'laziness' is often fuelled by a reliance on tipsters and the allure of luck, with some punters perceiving form analysis as overly technical or unnecessary.

Studying form is essential for informed betting, as it helps identify patterns and make reasoned decisions. Relying solely on luck or external advice limits the potential for consistent success. The overwhelming amount of data and the perception that only experts can analyse form often discourage punters from engaging with it.

What Can Be Done?

To overcome these challenges, punters should;

1. Start small, continually learn and practice some form study techniques.
2. Use modern tools and apps, such as BetTurtle, to simplify form analysis.
3. Develop a structured, repeatable process for analysing form and making betting selections.
4. Be disciplined and develop bank roll management techniques, reduce reliance on tipsters, betting on gut feel and blindly betting favourites or gambled on horses.

Learn and Practice Form Study Techniques

Everyone can learn the basics of horse racing form study, but mastering it takes time and experience.

To get started it is essential to understand how to read a racecard, become aware of the information that is available and learn how to utilise this information in the best possible way.

Here are some articles to get you started;

Horse Racing 101: A Beginner’s Guide To Horse Racing

The Essential Factors To Consider In Horse Racing - Part 1

The Essential Factors To Consider In Horse Racing - Part 2

From Amateur To Professional Gambler: Mastering The Art Of Horse Racing Betting

The 'Hidden' Features On BetTurtle Racecards

Using Modern Tools and Apps

There are many tools and apps available to provide race card and form analysis data. BetTurtle is the best tool available.

While you can read about all the excellent features BetTurtle has to offer here, to help showcase the power of such tools to help with form study here is an example.

Accelerating Form Study Example

BetTurtle uses Artificial Intelligence that analyses thousands of pieces of racing information for each race to determine a ranking (Pick Rank) for each horse in the race. You can view this information here.

The table below shows the statistics for the last two years for the BetTurtle Picks.

The top ranked horse, Pick 1, wins 28% of the time. However, betting everyone of these horses would result in a loss. Therefore, this information can be used as a starting point for further form study.

75% of all race winners have a Pick Rank of 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Therefore, punters can greatly improve their chances of success while minimising time and effort by limiting their form study to the top 4 pick ranked horses.

Structure and Repeatable Process

Once you have the basics of form study understood, the next step is to start developing a process that you can follow to determine the types of races you want to consider betting in and the approach you will take to make selections in these races.

Here are some articles with examples of the approaches and information you can use to do this.

BetTurtle Recommended Race Filters

Introducing The New BetTurtle Form Study Insights Feature

Using Horse Insights To Speed Up Form Study

How To Find Contenders In A Horse Race Quickly

Using Race Card Summary Stats To Quickly Assess The Contenders In A Race

How To Use Form And Speed Figures To Determine If A Horse Is Improving Or Has The Potential To Improve?

Using Handicap Ratings, Horse Type And Horse Race Class To Find Winners

A Technique For Identifying Horses Capable Of Winning Handicap Races

Be Disciplined

Reducing reliance on tipsters and setting realistic goals encourages personal accountability. Keeping track of bets and reviewing outcomes helps identify areas for improvement and reinforces the value of studying form.

Here are some article to help you;

Managing Your Horse Racing Betting Bankroll

Key Learnings From Alan Potts Professional Gambler

Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Betting On Horse Racing

Favourite Vs Outsider: When To Back The Dark Horse

Conclusion

By adopting the approaches discussed, punters can transform their betting habits, increase their chances of success while enhancing their enjoyment of horse racing. Ultimately, betting with knowledge and strategy makes the sport more rewarding for those willing to put in the effort.