The betting public is inundated with horse racing myths, most of which are useless. But how to tell the truth from the bottom right? This article looks at how to understand horse racing and betting myths.

Myth 1. Back upper or lower weight

Sounds good doesn’t it. The sad thing about this myth is that it is only satisfied often enough to keep it alive, but few buyers really understand where it comes from.

The highest weight in the competition is the top weight because he has the highest BHA rating. They have the highest rating because presumably they have achieved more in their races than the other horses in the race. This means that if they were in top form, they would have a good chance of winning again.

But here’s the kicker, they’re not always in the best shape and they’re not always very handicapped, sometimes they’re handicapped in old form and they’re regressed or they’re running on soft or heavy ground, which is a difficult task at best. The most important thing is that the top weights should never be ignored, but at the same time they should also never be blindsided.

At the opposite end of the scale is the bottom weight. The idea behind the bottom weight is that they carry less weight in the first place and therefore in a tight finish it is assumed that they have an advantage. But the thing is, bottom weight can be one of two things, either they’re a developing horse and they move up in class or they’re a bad plate and they’re at the bottom of the handicap because they’re not good.

When a horse moves up in class, you have to consider that they are fighting higher quality horses for the first time. They may have an advantage in slow or heavy going, but realistically they need to be on top of their game to win under normal conditions.

A poor plater always has trouble winning. Bottom weight means they have achieved less than other horses in the race. The fact that there is either an upper or lower weight does not give an automatic chance of winning. Horse racing is not that simple.

So pay attention to form and betting markets and you won’t go too far wrong.

Myth 2. Horses for courses

This is one myth that really seems to stick. The idea is that horses need certain track conditions or a certain track to win. This is certainly true for some horses. They can’t beat out their favorite song. But is it that simple. Or is there more to this myth than meets the eye.

We all know horses that only win at certain tracks. But are they the majority or the minority. I would have to say the minority.

Most horses can win in different conditions and on the track. They may prefer certain track features, terrain conditions, and certain distances, but they can still win in sub-optimal conditions.

But is it correct to say that fitting a horse to its most favored conditions is the fastest way to make a horse win. Actually yes it is. Most of the time though. But it is not always a guarantee that the horse will win.

Myth 3. A top class horse works on any ground and any distance.

I think we can throw this firmly in the bin. The idea here is that a top class horse can perform at its best on any ground or distance. A top class horse can win in almost any field if he is up against inferior opposition. When the same horse meets horses of the same level, he must have optimal conditions. If he needs good ground, there’s no point in racing him on soft ground against soft ground specialists. He just loses.

The same goes for distance. Against weak opposition, they win even when running less than optimal distances. Class takes a horse a long way, but it has a limit. To be at their best, they need their optimal conditions. It’s up to you to figure out what the terms are.

In conclusion, although myths are part of the racing world, we must strive to understand where they come from and how they are exploited. There will always be a time and place for racing myths, just don’t let them drain your wallet. It’s for the faint of heart.