Best Horse Racing Betting Offers & Free Bets
Our horse racing expert Richard Smith explains what the best types of offers are for horse racing punters, where you can find these offers, which are best for different experience levels, and what the differences are
He’ll explain the different types of bets, so it does not matter if you are a first-time racegoer or an experienced punter; you’ll find something useful in this guide.
On this page we’ve listed the best horse racing betting offers and free bets for new and existing customers, and covered exactly what they all mean in an easy to understand format.
If you are a horse racing fan then we are sure you are always on the lookout for the best horse racing betting offers, free bets, and best odds on horse racing.
Below are some of the best account welcome offers we have found for horse racing punters.
RECOMMENDED HORSE RACING SIGN-UP OFFERS
- Bet £10 Get £30
- 3 x first deposit up to £10 as a bonus.
- 90 Days to use bonus credits
£5
UK Gambling Commission
31/12/2026
New Customers only. Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets when you join bet365. Sign up, deposit between £5 and £10 to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value settle. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required. Significant Terms and Conditions • Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. • To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets placed and settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement. • PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See condition 2 of full Terms and Conditions for details. • Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits: • Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater. • Only the largest cumulative stake on an individual selection within a market/fixture combination (either pre-match or In-Play) will count towards the settled bets requirement. • Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count. • Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count. • Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, Free Bets, void bets, In-Play bets which are settled as a push or Fantasy Sports entries will not count. • Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details. • Your Bet Credits will expire 7 days after they are added to your Bet Credits balance. • Offer applies to new customers who open an account from 12:00 UK Time on 3rd December 2024. For more information about all offers please visit the bet365 website. Registration required.
https://www.bet365.com
Bet365 Group Ltd / Hillside (New Media) Ltd
2000
Stoke-on-Trent
- Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets
- First bet must be placed at a cumulative odds of evens (2.0) or greater
- Free bets valid for 7 days
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/03/2026
Our general Betfred Terms and Conditions apply to this Offer in addition to the Significant Conditions below. If there is any conflict between the Significant Conditions and our general Terms and Conditions, the Significant Conditions will take precedence. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS WELCOME OFFER? New customers residing in the UK, Ireland and Gibraltar who are at least 18 years old and who register for an account with us. Customers must be successfully verified by us before any Free Bets are awarded. Please see our Verification Policy for more details. HOW DO YOU GET THE FREE BETS? Register using the promo code SUMMER50. If you do not add a promo code during registration you can add the code after registering as long as it is added before making your first deposit. Make your first deposit at least £10, using a Debit Card registered to you, within 7 days of registering an account with us. No other payment method will qualify. Place your first bet of £10 or more on any qualifying Sportsbook markets, at odds of Evens or greater (2.0+), which must settle within 7-days of registering for your account. Two or more separate bets with a combined stake of £10 will not qualify. Only your very first valid bet will count. If your bet is voided or cancelled by us; it will not count and the next valid bet you place will be considered instead. If your account is set to euros you will need to deposit and bet €10 to qualify. WHAT WILL NOT QUALIFY? Entering the promo code after making your first deposit. Bets placed using Free Bets. Bets on Totepool and Virtual Sports. If you CashOut your qualifying bet. WHEN WILL YOU BE CREDITED WITH YOUR FREE BETS? Your £50 in Free Bets will be credited within 10 hours of your qualifying bet being settled, and can be used as followed: 3 x £10 to use on any Sportsbook Markets 2 x £10 to use on Accumulators (4+ selections). Crediting may be delayed if additional documentation is required. ARE THERE ANY OTHER LIMITATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? Free Bets cannot be withdrawn as cash and will not form part of any winnings returned. Any unused Free Bets will expire 7 days after issue. By registering with the promo code, you will not be eligible to receive any other Welcome Offer from Sports, Lotto, Games or Vegas. One welcome offer per address/IP address/device or mobile number. Previous account holders are not eligible for the offer. Anyone opening a Betfred.com account that has previously held an account with us that is closed does not qualify for the offer. In the event of a dispute, the decision of the Betfred Management Team will be final and based on our Terms and Conditions. CAN WE CHANGE OR REMOVE THIS WELCOME OFFER? We may remove and change this Welcome Offer without notice. These changes will not affect any Welcome Offer that you may have already registered for, or placed any qualifying bets towards, other than where this is necessary to prevent fraud or other similar unlawful behaviour. Betfred reserve the right to withdraw the promotion, if required, for reasons beyond our control, such as system failures or supplier withdrawal (not exhaustive). In the instance that this happens, we will endeavour to communicate any withdrawal in a timely manner.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
- Bet €10 Get €60 + €10 Casino Bonus
- Minimum €10 stake to activate first free bet
- Money back as a free bet if 2nd to SP favourite – Selected Meetings
£10
UK Gambling Commission
31/12/2026
*18+. IRE/NI new customers only. €/£70 in FREE Bets (FB) as €/£60 in sports bets & a €/£10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit €/£10. Min stake €/£10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept €/£10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable €/£100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. T&Cs Apply
https://www.boylesports.com
Boylesports Enterprise
1982
Finnabair Industrial Estate, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland.
So we have taken a look at the recommended horse racing sign-up offers, but what about the best horse racing promotions for existing customers.
BEST HORSE RACING PROMOTIONS FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS
For those of you who are experienced horse racing bettors, you are likely not interested in other sports, but only about your passion of horse racing, and if you are serious about your horse racing betting, then it is good to know and understand just what offers are on the market.
Nowadays, bookmakers don’t just have one horse racing offer, they have multiple offers. So lets take a look at what specials are available to give you an edge to your horse racing betting strategy.
BET365 HORSE RACING PROMOTIONS
Below you can see all of the Bet365 horse racing promotions.
BETFRED HORSE RACING PROMOTIONS
Below you can see all of the BetFred horse racing promotions.
- Available on UK, Irish and selected international events
- Applies to qualifying bets where the SP is bigger than the price taken when the bet was placed
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/12/2023
Applies to UK, Irish and selected International horse racing only. Best Odds Guaranteed applies to bets placed after 08:00 on the day of the race. Best Odds Guaranteed will be applied on qualifying bets where the SP is bigger than the price taken when the bet was placed. Offer does not apply to Win and Each Way bets on Super Extra Place Races highlighted in the race book. Offer does not apply for Lucky 15s, 31s and 63s. Offer does not apply to Ante Post, Tote or Pari-Mutuel. In the event of a Rule 4 deduction, we will pay at the bigger odds after the Rule 4 deduction has been made to the price taken. Bets using existing free bet funds do not count. Bets placed on specials market or boosts will not count towards this offer. Best Odds will not be applied where non-runners result in the race reverting to SP only. Where the terms of the offer are breached or there is evidence of collusion by a customer, or group of customers, which seek to guarantee profit irrespective of the outcome, Betfred reserves the right to void the bonus element and settle the bets at the correct odds. Betfred reserve the right to exclude certain customers from this offer at our discretion due to internal risk policies and/or account staking restrictions. General Betfred.com rules apply, see website for details.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
- 5 Places. If there are fewer than 16 runners they will pay 4 Places (1/5 odds).
- 6 Places. If there are fewer than 20 runners they will pay 5 Places (1/5 odds).
- 7 Places. If there are fewer than 26 runners they will pay 6 Places (1/5 odds).
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/12/2023
Applies to singles and multiple bets. 3 Places. If there are fewer than 6 runners standard place terms will apply. 4 Places. If there are fewer than 12 runners standard place terms will apply. 5 Places. If there are fewer than 16 runners they will pay 4 Places (1/5 odds). 6 Places. If there are fewer than 20 runners they will pay 5 Places (1/5 odds). 7 Places. If there are fewer than 26 runners they will pay 6 Places (1/5 odds). Doesn’t apply to ante-post bets. Dead heat rules apply. Betfred reserve the right to exclude certain customers from this offer at our discretion due to internal risk policies and/or account staking restrictions. General Betfred.com rules apply, see website for details.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
- Offer is available every day on selected races.
- Maximum Free Bet refund is limited to £10 per customer per race
- Offer applies to win singles & win part of E/W bets only
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/12/2023
Available on Betfred.com and the Betfred App. Minimum Free Bet refund is 50p and Maximum Free Bet refund is £10 per customer per race. Offer applies to win singles & win part of E/W bets only. Offer applies if your selection finishes 2nd in the 19:20 & 20:20 Kempton on 06/07/2022. Official results will be determined from www.sportinglife.com/racing/results. Offer is fulfilled in Free Bets. CashedOut bets do not count. Bets placed on specials markets or boosts will not count. In the event of a dead heat second, half of the stake will be refunded as a free bet on both selections, up to a maximum of £5 free bet per customer. In the event of dead heat first, offer does not apply Does not apply to Antepost bets. Does not apply to bets placed on unnamed favourites/unnamed 2nd favourites. Five or more runners must start the race for the offer to qualify. Free Bets credited within 24 hours of qualifying bets being settled. Bets using existing Free Bet funds do not count. Free Bets awarded from this promotion will be valid for 7 days, any Free Bet funds that are unused after 7 days will be removed. Betfred reserve the right to exclude certain customers from this offer at our discretion due to internal risk policies and/or account staking restrictions. Usual Betfred.com rules apply, see website for details.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
- Super Extra Place Races are announced on the Betfred App and website
- This “Super” extra place option is usiuially found on the big field handicaps at the major racing festivals.
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/12/2023
Available on Betfred.com and the Betfred app. Best Odds Guaranteed does not apply to Super Extra Place races. Applies to single and multiple bets. Doesn’t apply to ante-post bets. Dead heat rules apply. Betfred reserve the right to exclude certain customers from this offer at our discretion due to internal risk policies and/or account staking restrictions. General Betfred.com rules apply, see website for details.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
- 10% bonus to all-correct Lucky 15/ Yankee bets
- 20% bonus to all-correct Lucky 31/Canadian bets
- 25% bonus to all-correct Lucky 63/Heinz bets
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/12/2023
Applies to Horse, Greyhound, Virtual Horse and Virtual Greyhound bets only. All selections must run for the Bonus to apply. Bonus will only be paid if all selections are winners. Offer applies to win bets & win part of E/W bets. 10% bonus to all-correct Lucky 15/ Yankee bets. 20% bonus to all-correct Lucky 31/Canadian bets. 25% bonus to all-correct Lucky 63/Heinz bets. Bets placed using free bets do not qualify. All bonus payments are paid on winnings, no bonus is paid on stakes. All bonus payments are at Betfred.com’s discretion and can be amended or withdrawn at any time if we believe fraudulent or suspicious activity has taken place. Betfred reserve the right to exclude certain customers from this offer at our discretion due to internal risk policies and/or account staking restrictions. General Betfred.com rules apply, see website for details.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
WILLIAM HILL HORSE RACING PROMOTIONS
Below you can see all of the William Hill horse racing promotions.
- Best Odds Guaranteed available at 48 declaration stage for showcase festival meetings like The Cheltenham Festival
- Best Odds Guaranteed available on all UK & Irish horse racing and greyhound racing.
- Win up to an extra £25000 with Best Odds Guaranteed
£5
Malta Gaming Authority under license: MGA/CRP/121/2006-05
31/12/2023
Terms and Conditions 1. General restrictions a. We expect you to be fair when you take part in promotions. We consider certain types of play to be unfair and to break these terms and conditions. These unfair types of play include the following. Using ‘minimal risk wagering patterns’ (that is, a set pattern of bets or stakes that unfairly minimises risks). Using more than one account in order to get more than the number of bonuses allowed for each customer. Sharing personalised promotions (that is, promotions only available to specific customers we offer them to) with others. This includes taking part in any personalised promotion forwarded to you by someone else when it was not intended for you. Taking part in a promotion that is not available in the country you live in. Colluding with other customers (that is, plotting with others to gain an unfair advantage). Using more than one account per person, per household or per IP address. b. If you take part in any play that we consider to be unfair, we may cancel any bonuses or promotions applied to your account, reclaim any bonus you have received as part of any promotion we have cancelled, and either: settle bets at the correct odds, not the bonus or promotion odds; void any free bets or bets funded by a bonus (that is, treat them as if they had never been placed); or remove any winnings relating to any bonus. 2. General conditions a. Regardless of anything else set out in these terms and conditions, you can withdraw funds from your main balance at any time, except where we must withhold the funds to meet our legal or regulatory obligations. b. You cannot take part in this promotion if we have previously banned you from taking part in promotions, or from betting or playing any games on our website. c. We can withhold or refuse to pay any winnings from a bonus if funds you paid into your main balance (including any amounts you have already used) are cancelled or denied by any payment service (for example, your card provider). d. We can change or cancel this promotion, or change these terms and conditions: without giving you notice, if the change or cancellation is needed because of any change in law or regulation; or by giving you notice beforehand, if the change or cancellation is for any other valid reason (for example, if there is a fault in the software or systems we use to provide this promotion, or we identify a mistake in this promotion or these terms and conditions). We can also award an equivalent bonus to the one referred to in this promotion. e. We will not be responsible for any technical, hardware or software failures, or any unavailable or lost network conditions which may result in incorrect information being displayed, or affect your ability to enter or take part in the promotion. If there is any dispute over your eligibility for the promotion, our decision will be final. f. Your use of our website, and your gaming or betting, is governed by our terms and conditions of using our website or telebetting service (the general terms). You must read the general terms and these terms and conditions before you take part in this promotion. If any of these terms and conditions conflict with the general terms, these terms and conditions will apply. g. These terms and conditions are governed by, and interpreted in line with, the laws of England and Wales. Any legal action in connection with these terms and conditions will be dealt with in the courts of England and Wales h. This promotion is offered, managed and made available on our website (williamhill.com) by us, WHG (International) Limited.
https://sports.williamhill.com/
William Hill PLC
1934
William Hill Global PLC, Tagliaferro Business Centre, Level 7, High Street, Sliema SLM 1549, Malta
If you are a fan of the big meetings like Cheltenham, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and other big days like the Arc De Triomphe, Melbourne Cup and Breeders Cup, then you know that the bookies are always offering some unique bet types for these big race days and festivals.
During the year, we dedicate special sections of the website to these big meetings where we give a full analysis and tips for each race at the big meetings.
TYPES OF NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS FOR HORSE RACING
There are a number of different types of welcome bonus offered by bookmakers and here we’ll look at the top three types of offer available. One of these is sure to suit your style of betting.
Bet X Get Y Deposit Bonus
This is the most common bonus avilable from most bookmakers and is the easiest to understand and use.
As an example, the bookmaker Bet365 offers new customers the opportunity to Bet £10 and Get £50 in bonus cash.
To qualify for your £50 bonus, all you have to do is sign up, deposit £10 and place a bet to that value. As soon as that first bet is settled then you will receive your bonus cash in your account.
It is important to note that different bookmakers will allocate your bonus cash in different ways. For example the bonus cash from Bet365 is split like this:
- Deposit £5 or £10 and get a 500% (Up to £50 bonus in free bet credits)
- Your free bet credit amount is not included in any returns
- Free bet credits are not waithdrawable
Matched Deposit Welcome Bonus
Many bookmakers offer the matched deposit welcome bonus, this one is very popular with online casinos, but sportsbooks also offer this as well.
As an example, you may see a bookmaker offer a matched deposit as a percentage, so it could be deposit £100 and get a 100% matched deposit bonus.
They are effectively doubling your betting bank to help you get started. make sure to read the terms and conditions of these offers carefully.
- Deposit £100 and receive another £100 (100% matched deposit bonus) for placing your first bets.
- Many of these offers have play through requirements, so be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully
- This type of bonus is usually available for only 7 to 14 days after your initial qualifying bet.
Matched Refund Offer
This welcome offer is becoming more and more popular with bookmakers as it is a great offer for punters and is relatively low risk for the bookmaker.
When you sign up for this type of offer then you are guaranteed to either win or get a matched refund on your first bet if it loses.
These offers are limited in terms of the amount you can bet. As an example, you might see a £50 money back bet. You also need to take note of the specific terms and conditions with this type of offer.
- If your first bet wins, then you do not receive any bonus. A bonus is only paid if your first bet is a loser.
- The bonus bets can be restricted by sport, so check the terms and conditions carefully.
- Any winnings from a bonus bet will not include the bonus bet amount
If you’re interested in reading about the pros and cons of bonus offers, how they work, and how we rate them, check the main betting offers page.
What To Look For In A Good Horse Racing Bonus
- Firstly, the initial deposit shouldn’t need to be too high – between £20 and £50 is a safe amount for both beginners and more advanced bettors.
- Secondly, the odds requirement for the qualifying bet should also not be too high – between 1.20 and 2.00 is ideal. Anything higher makes it more likely to lose your initial deposit.
- Thirdly, the rollover requirement should be no higher than 4x. Expecting horse racing bettors to have to turnover 8x their £50 or £100 bonus is really high and makes it likely they’ll lose the bonus funds before being able to withdraw any.
HOW DO BOOKMAKER BONUSES WORK?
Bonus offers usually come with some requirements in order to stop horse racing bettors taking the money and running!
Requirements include:
- Rollover requirements.
As mentioned, bookmakers may require you to play through (also known as turnover or rollover) your bonus funds. Otherwise you could just signup, place a bet, then get the bonus and withdraw it. That would be too easy, so bookmakers want you to place a certain number of bets with both your own money and the bonus money before being able to withdraw it. This is more common with casino and game sites rather that sports betting sites like Bet365, Betfair, Betfred, Boylesports and other well known bookmakers like William Hill - Betting market restrictions
Bookmakers will often restrict certain betting markets from counting towards claiming the bonus or the rollover requirements. Horse racing bonuses are normally only available on standard betting markets like win and each-way singles, multiples like doubles, trebles and accumulators and some exotic bets like exacta’s and trifectas. Many bookmakers will not allow bonus funds to be bet on tote pool bets and also on some international race meetings and also on some Ante Post betting markets. - Minimum Odds
Both the qualifying bets from the initial deposit, and then the bets placed using the horse racing bonus will need to be placed on selections with minimum odds requirements. Your selection will need to be equal to or be above the stipulated odds. It prevents customers from placing “easy” low odds bets and then withdrawing the bonus. Odds will likely be at least 1.50 and above for most horse racing bonus offers. - Time Sensitive
In order to restrict their losses, bookmakers will make sure customers are limited in the timeframe they can use the bonus. It means the bonus may only be available for 7-14 days, at which point, if it has not been used then it will automatically be forfeited. It is important to read through the bookmaker T&C’s to understand how each bonus works. Before signing up for your bonus it is a good idea to have a strategy to maximise your bonus. So if your qualifying bet is £10 and you get a £20 bonus bet split into 4 x £5 bets, it may be good to work out four bets to help genetate a profit. Below are some examples.
- Bet 1 – Win Single
Place a £5 bet on a favourite at 2.0 (Evens) and make £5 profit if the horse wins. - Bet 2 – Win Treble
Place a £5 treble on three short price favourites at odds of 1.5 (1/2) each. This is a high probability bet and if all three win you would get a return of £16.87 for a profit of £11.87 - Bet 3 – EW Treble
This one is of course more high risk but can still be limited by choosing three horses at 5/1 each. Go for races that are paying at least 4 places to give you more chance of success. It means you are backing three horses to get placed at 2.0 (Evens) on each selection, and if all get placed you would return £40 for a profit of £35.
And if they all won then your upside is huge with a return of £1120 and a profit of £1135. - Bet 4 – £5 Straight Forecast
This is a bet where you would need to pick the first and second in the correct order. It is course a tougher bet to pull off but could net you a nice return.
TYPES OF HORSE RACING BETTING PROMOTIONS FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS
With so much horse racing in the UK and abroad, bookmakers are always on the lookout to give their customers different markets to bet on, and to find a way to reward those customers with enhanced odds, enhanced prices and other types of special offers.
Best Odds Guaranteed
Best Odds Guaranteed is one of the most popular horse racing betting promotions, and you should find it with most bookmakers. It is quite simply an offer that allows to you to get the best odds, as long as you take a price prior to the race starting.
When you make your selection, take the price and if the horses SP (starting price) returns higher than the price you took then you will be paid at the bigger price.
If the horse returns at a lower SP, then you’ll get the price you took before the race started.
Extra Place Races
Another horse racing promotion you will find with most bookmakers nowadays. Be sure to check each bookmakers individual extra place terms, but as a standard you’ll find most bookmakers will offer the following.
- Handicap and selected non handicap races with 10 or more runners – 4 places instead of 3 places.
- Handicap and selected non handicap races with 14 or more runners – 4 or 5 places instead of 3 places.
- Handicap and selected non handicap races with 16 or more runners – 5 places instead of 4 places.
- Handicap races with 20 or more runners – 5, 6 or 7 places instead of 4 places.
Different bookmakers have different offers and for big handicaps like The Cesarewitch and November Handicap on the flat and The Grand National and big races at The Cheletenham Festival, bookmakers like Bet365 and Betfred are sometimes seen offering 8 places to each-way punters.
Boosted Odds
Many bookmakers offer some form of boosted odds promotion and these are usually available on the big handicaps at major race meetings and also during the week on selected races.
You will often find that a horse may have its price enhanced for a certain period in the morning, or even for a short period before a race is due to start.
These boosted prices are usually half point, so as an example, a price boost could be offering 5/1 about a horse which is 9/2. You might also see price boosts on selected short price doubles, so a bookmaker may take a horse which is Evens and one that is 6/4 and combine them to offer a boosted double.
A normal price for this bet would be 4/1, but a bookmaker might offer 5/1.
ITV 4/1 Racing Offer
ITV, the bterrestrial TV channel in the UK shows racing every weekend during the season and hundreds of thousands of fans tune in every Saturday to follow the action. Because Saturdays almost always have the most competitive action, the bookmakers came up with this offer.
Place a bet on any ITV race and if you back a winner at 4/1 or bigger, the bookmaker will give a free £5 bet on the next televised race.
N.B. Check your own bookmaker to see if they have this offer. Most of the big bookmakers have this offer.
Double Result/First Past The Post
For many years, horse racing punters got a bit of a raw deal. If you backed a horse that won the race but was subsequently disqualified, then you lost your money.
The bookmakers, who don’t like losing money made a big change though, and introduced Double Result.
So now if you have a horse and it wins the race but gets disqualified for maybe bumping or crossing a rival in the final furlong, or the jockey makes a mistake and it causes the horse to be disqualified, you no longer have to worry. The majority of bookmakers will now pay out on the original winner and the subsequently promoted horse.
Not great for the bookmaker but a great promotion for the punter. So whatever bookmaker you use, check they offer Double Result.
Failed To Finish/First Fence Faller/Last Fence Faller
This is another promotion that is great for horse racing punters. For some time if your horse refused to race, did not come out of the starting stalls or came under starters orders but took no part, your selection would be classed as a loser and you would lose your money.
Nowadays the bookmakers realise this is not ideal and many now offer a free bet if your horse does any of the above or is a first fence or last fence faller in national hunt races.
Again, check your own bookmakers offers to see if they offer this concession.
Free Bet If 2nd
This is a great promotion that is offered by many bookmakers, especially at the bigger racing festivals.
This offer will normally apply if you place a bet and your horse finishes second to the favourite. This means that if you have an odds on favourite in a race then it is more than likely to win. From a strategy perspective, if you use this offer and back the second favourite, then you have a chance of getting the winner, but your selection is definitely more likely to be the one that finishes second to the favourite.
This gives you a form of a free bet, not totally risk free as the favourite might win and your horse might finish third, but still a good promotion to look out for from with your bookmaker.
Non-Runner No Bet
This is a specific type of promotion which is run on ante post markets (pre raceday) and it allows you the safety of getting your money back if your horse does not run.
Any race that is taking place at a big festival is usually going to be “Non Runner No Bet” the week before the event, this is usually the case at the big meetings like Cheltenham and Royal Ascot.
Most big bookmakers offer this concession, but check when placing your bet, it should show this on the bet slip.
All Correct Bonus
This promotion is really for those punters that like to do multiples bets like Yankees, Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s, Canadians, Heinz bets and Goliath Bets.
Not all bookmakers offer this promo but the ones that do give different percentage bonus if you select all winners in one of these types of bets.
The first bookmaker to offer this type of promo was Betfred, and since then, other bookmakers have followed suit and now offer these All Correct Bonuses on horse racing multiples.
One Winner Bonus
The One Winner Bonus is another promo that multiples punters will love and its another promotion that was originally started by Betfred.
This one is great as if you have one winner in a Lucky 15 then most bookmakers will give you double the odds on the winner. If you have a bigger multiple like a Lucky 31 then some bookmakers will give you triple the odds for one winner.
Make sure to check with your bookmaker if they offer this excellent promo.
BOOKMAKER FREE BETS, LOYALTY SCHEMES, AND REWARD POINTS
The bookmaking industry is now very competitive and that is great news for punters as they can really look for the best offers when it comes to free bets, loyalty schemes and other types of rewards.
Free Bets
Free bets are the most common type of horse racing betting offers for new and existing customers. They’re given to new customers who sign up, verify their account, make a deposit, and place a bet.
They are usually available on the bet slip to be used instead of normal betting funds.
The “stake” part of the free bet is not included in the winnings. This is often called “Stake Not Included” or “Stake Not Returned” (SNR).
We’ve covered the meaning of free bets and their pros and cons on our main betting offers page.
Loyalty Schemes
A lot of bookmakers now have dedicated loyalty programmes where you can get free bets, enhanced prices and places and many other benefits just for placing bets.
One of the most common types of loyalty scheme is the “Acca Club.” If you place an acca each day during the week then the following Monday you’ll receive a free acca as a reward for this loyalty.
Sky Bet, for example, rewards punters with a weekly £5 free bet as part of their “Free Bet Club”, for the players who place at least £25 in sports and horse racing bets over the course of a week.
Anothyer type of loyalty scheme we see in a number of bookmakers is the rebate scheme, where you might receive a percentage of your weekly stakes or losses as a refund in the form of a free bet.
Reward Points
This form of loyalty scheme is not hugely popular, but some bookmakers do have this and you get various levels of points awarded depending on the amount of money you bet. This is usually a number of points for each £1 you spend on betting.
These points can then be redeemed for bet credits, swag or the chance to get tickets to sports events etc, etc.
Enhancements For Festivals On Specific Horses, Trainers & JOCKEYS
The big racing festivals are always competitive, not just the racing part but also on who will be the top trainer and top jockey at the meeting.
Festival Enhancements
The big Festivals offer the punter a great opportunity to take advantage of specific festival price enhancements.
For example, you might see that A Plus Tard, last years Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has an enhanced price on the day. So the horse could be 3/1 as a general price but some bookies will offer 7/2 for a short period on the morning of the big race.
And other big meetings like Royal Ascot and the Breeders Cup have enhancements for the number of winners from a certain country.
Bookmakers always offer enhanced odds on the number of British trained winners at the Breeders Cup.
Horse Price Enhancements
You’ll always find enhanced prices being given on specific horses, especially on short priced favourites. Because a favourite might be odds on, they are not so attractive to the smaller punter, so bookmakers will often offer a bigger price for the horse to win and to win by more than a certain distance.
Another enhancement you might see is for a horse to finish or not to finish a race. This is one bet you’ll often see in the big National Hunt races like the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Trainer Price Enhancements
There are a number of different trainer bets available from the bookmakers. Of course you’ll have the standard trainers championship betting on who will be the top trainer for the whole season, then you’ll have the top trainer for a specific meeting.
So if we take The Cheltenham Festival as an example, top Irish Trainers Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot are always near the head of the betting, closely followed by the top British trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls. This is simply based on who has the most amount of winners
Some bookmakers will also offer prices on how many winners a certain trainer will have in a day. So they may offer a price on Willie Mullins to have three winners from all his runners, or they might pick out his three shortest priced runners that day and give an enhanced price.
As an example, if he had three horses priced at 1/2, 4/5 and EVS, that would come to £5.40 (or 4.4 to 1) for a one pound stake. The bookmakers will likely offer a price of 5/1 or 11/2 as an enhanced offer.
Jockey Price Enhancements
The jockeys enhanced prices are similar to the trainers, but one that is often different is the jockey match up.
This a bet where bookmakers will offer prices on who out of two selected jockeys will have the most winners at a specific meeting or even for a specific days racing.
In recent seasons we have seen this match up bet a lot, with daily specials on the duel between Brian Hughes and Harry Skelton over jumps and Frankie Detorri and Ryan Moore on the flat.
Best horse racing betting offers for Major Festivals & Race Meets
Offers for horse racing fans run throughout the year and we cover all of the big race meetings. Our expert Richard Smith analyses all of the big races from each meeting and provides both form and statistical analysis to help you pick the value bets. The section below shows more info and results from all of the big festival meetings in 2022.
- Cheltenham Festival
- Grand National
- Royal Ascot
- Glorious Goodwood
- Qatar Arc De Triomphe
- Melbourne Cup
- Breeders Cup
- Sydney Carnival
This analysis is broken down into form guides and statistics guides. For anybody looking for free horse racing tips then the form guides should be helpful, especially for the novice racegoer or bettor. Richard breaks each race down in a simple two to three-sentence overview, plus he gives selections and the main dangers.
The experienced punter will also get benefit from the form guides but will maybe get an extra edge by using the 10-year race trends, which give five key stats for each race.
BEST Horse Racing Betting OFFERS For Beginners
We appreciate that not everybody is an expert and some people are only going racing for a fun day out. But having a little flutter makes the day more fun, and if you are at the track or betting from the comfort of home, then here is an easy to understand guide.
Free bets tend to be the best offers for beginner users to claim.
Best 5 offers for novice horse racing bettors include:
We’ve chosen Bet365 as the most beginner friendly betting offer for horse racing.
- They allow you to join with just £10, which activates a £50 free bet.
- There are no wagering requirements – the free bet can be used like a token.
- The user interface for horse racing bettors is really easy to use, even for the novice bettor.
- Bet £10 Get £30
- 3 x first deposit up to £10 as a bonus.
- 90 Days to use bonus credits
£5
UK Gambling Commission
31/12/2026
New Customers only. Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets when you join bet365. Sign up, deposit between £5 and £10 to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value settle. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required. Significant Terms and Conditions • Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. • To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets placed and settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement. • PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See condition 2 of full Terms and Conditions for details. • Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits: • Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater. • Only the largest cumulative stake on an individual selection within a market/fixture combination (either pre-match or In-Play) will count towards the settled bets requirement. • Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count. • Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count. • Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, Free Bets, void bets, In-Play bets which are settled as a push or Fantasy Sports entries will not count. • Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details. • Your Bet Credits will expire 7 days after they are added to your Bet Credits balance. • Offer applies to new customers who open an account from 12:00 UK Time on 3rd December 2024. For more information about all offers please visit the bet365 website. Registration required.
https://www.bet365.com
Bet365 Group Ltd / Hillside (New Media) Ltd
2000
Stoke-on-Trent
- Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets
- First bet must be placed at a cumulative odds of evens (2.0) or greater
- Free bets valid for 7 days
£5
UK Gambling Commission under account number 39544. Licensed by the Gibraltar Government and regulated by the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner (RGL no. 036 & 038)
31/03/2026
Our general Betfred Terms and Conditions apply to this Offer in addition to the Significant Conditions below. If there is any conflict between the Significant Conditions and our general Terms and Conditions, the Significant Conditions will take precedence. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS WELCOME OFFER? New customers residing in the UK, Ireland and Gibraltar who are at least 18 years old and who register for an account with us. Customers must be successfully verified by us before any Free Bets are awarded. Please see our Verification Policy for more details. HOW DO YOU GET THE FREE BETS? Register using the promo code SUMMER50. If you do not add a promo code during registration you can add the code after registering as long as it is added before making your first deposit. Make your first deposit at least £10, using a Debit Card registered to you, within 7 days of registering an account with us. No other payment method will qualify. Place your first bet of £10 or more on any qualifying Sportsbook markets, at odds of Evens or greater (2.0+), which must settle within 7-days of registering for your account. Two or more separate bets with a combined stake of £10 will not qualify. Only your very first valid bet will count. If your bet is voided or cancelled by us; it will not count and the next valid bet you place will be considered instead. If your account is set to euros you will need to deposit and bet €10 to qualify. WHAT WILL NOT QUALIFY? Entering the promo code after making your first deposit. Bets placed using Free Bets. Bets on Totepool and Virtual Sports. If you CashOut your qualifying bet. WHEN WILL YOU BE CREDITED WITH YOUR FREE BETS? Your £50 in Free Bets will be credited within 10 hours of your qualifying bet being settled, and can be used as followed: 3 x £10 to use on any Sportsbook Markets 2 x £10 to use on Accumulators (4+ selections). Crediting may be delayed if additional documentation is required. ARE THERE ANY OTHER LIMITATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? Free Bets cannot be withdrawn as cash and will not form part of any winnings returned. Any unused Free Bets will expire 7 days after issue. By registering with the promo code, you will not be eligible to receive any other Welcome Offer from Sports, Lotto, Games or Vegas. One welcome offer per address/IP address/device or mobile number. Previous account holders are not eligible for the offer. Anyone opening a Betfred.com account that has previously held an account with us that is closed does not qualify for the offer. In the event of a dispute, the decision of the Betfred Management Team will be final and based on our Terms and Conditions. CAN WE CHANGE OR REMOVE THIS WELCOME OFFER? We may remove and change this Welcome Offer without notice. These changes will not affect any Welcome Offer that you may have already registered for, or placed any qualifying bets towards, other than where this is necessary to prevent fraud or other similar unlawful behaviour. Betfred reserve the right to withdraw the promotion, if required, for reasons beyond our control, such as system failures or supplier withdrawal (not exhaustive). In the instance that this happens, we will endeavour to communicate any withdrawal in a timely manner.
https://www.betfred.com/
Petfre (Gibraltar) Limited
1967
5/2 Waterport Place, Gibraltar,
BEST Horse Racing Betting OFFERS For Advanced BETTORS
Of course, if you are reading this as more of an expert punter, the above welcome offers will be easily understood, but many bookmakers now offer specific types of bets just for advanced horse racing bettors.
Offers to suit the more advanced horse racing betting experts have been chosen both due to the higher amount of the offer available, and the flexibility that the offer gives more advanced users.
More experienced horse racing bettors will benefit from our top 5 offers below.
The best free bets and bonuses for experienced horse racing bettors are:
- Betfred – Free Bet if 2nd
- Bet365 – Double Result Offer
- Betfair –
- William Hill –
- Boylesports –
We’ve chosen the Betfred Free Bet If 2nd as the most interesting betting offer for experienced horse racing punters.
- This allows you to place single bets on a selected race or races each day.
- There are no wagering requirements – the free bet (Up to £10) can be used like a token.
- A great bet if you fancy the favourite as it creates a potential risk free bet.
CONCLUSION
We hope this short guide has answered some of your questions about horse racing betting and make sure to let us know if there is anything specific we can help with or answer.
Betting is meant to be a fun activity. Never bet more than you can comfortably afford to lose.
