
🐎 Best Horse Racing Betting Site:	bet365
🏆 Best Racing Selection:	888sport
📺 Best For Racing Live Streaming:	William Hill
💰 Best Horse Racing Bonus:	€100
📱 Best Racing App:	Unibet

How We Rank The Best Irish Horse Racing Betting Sites

With horse racing being a big part of Irish culture, it’s essential that taking part in betting is reliable, simple and trustworthy. That’s why we take the time to delve into the hundreds of betting sites out there to find the best ones for horse racing, so you don’t have to.

But it’s not as simple as just finding the ones we like the most. Each punter has their own personal preferences, requirements and expectations. To take all this into consideration, we have put together a criteria of the elements we deem most important to look for with each betting site, ranking the site on its ability to tick all the boxes.

So, what do we look for?

Sign-up process	If you’ve made the decision to place a bet on a horse race then I’m sure you just want to get going. So that you can get started with placing bets on horse races as efficiently as possible, we believe the sign-up process of a betting site should be quick, easy and painless, getting you set up and ready to go within minutes.
Security	When dealing with money, security is more important than ever. That’s why, when ranking horse racing betting sites, we look for bookmakers that use the latest SSL encryption technology to keep your sensitive information safe.
Safety	Safe betting means knowing your limits, and it’s a bookmaker’s responsibility to help you stay within those boundaries. When ranking horse racing betting sites, we make sure that they have safeguards in place. This includes things such as betting limits, deposit limits, timeouts, reality checks and self-exclusions.
Customer support	With online horse racing betting sites, you don’t have that instant human interaction that you’d have at physical bookies. Therefore, it’s essential for the online bookmaker to have good customer service that offers dedicated customer support with a timely response. The best sites will have a number of customer support options, from live chat to email and phone lines.
Promotions	To keep their customers happy and ensure they continue to have an enjoyable experience, good horse racing betting sites will offer promotions, both to new and loyal customers alike. This could be in the form of free bets, money back, loyalty schemes and more.
Engaging features	For an ongoing excellent experience, you want a horse racing betting site that offers entertaining and engaging extras. This could include things like bet builders, bet boosts, enhanced odds, live streaming and live betting. When ranking a horse racing betting site, we look for these additional features as they make a big difference in improving your experience.
Fast withdrawal times	Of course, you’d want access to any winnings as quickly as possible. With withdrawals not being instantaneous, it’s important that online horse racing betting sites, provide withdrawal methods that have a short processing time so that the money is in your bank account as quickly as possible.
Reputation	When it comes to ranking horse racing betting sites, reputation is key. Sure they might have a quick sign-up and offer good promotions, but if they don’t have a good reputation, then it’s a good idea to look elsewhere. When assessing a bookmaker’s reputation, we look for fairness, honesty and providing a positive experience. Some of the best bookmakers started on the high street and have spent years building their reputation and improving their customer’s experience.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in Ireland

Novibet

Pros

Great welcome bonus
Easy to use
24/7 customer support

Cons

No bonuses or offers for Grand National or Cheltenham.

Great site for those new to betting on horse racing as the welcome bonus is excellent. Punters may feel that their lack of a VIP program for ongoing users does the site a disservice, but they still offer plenty of promotions to keep you interested.

bet365

Pros

Accepts bets during live races
Has live streaming
Loads of bonuses and offers for horse racing betting

Cons

Live streaming isn’t available for every race.

Bet 365 is perfect if you’re looking to bet on horse racing. They have a handy news section to help you get some background on the horses and jockeys, and they accept in-play bets while the race is ongoing. They are an extremely popular bookies, and well worth a punt.

William Hill

Pros

Well established and trusted brand
Streaming service via WHTV
Fast withdrawals

Cons

There are bigger bonuses available elsewhere

William Hill is one of the oldest bookmakers out there and they come with a wealth of experience and reliability. While there are plenty of reasons to use this site, punters may want to check out the free bonuses on other sites first. That being said, many promotions (especially welcome bonuses) usually come with a long list of terms and conditions, so you may want to forgo the seemingly attractive offers and stick with an old reliable.

888sport

Pros

Great sign-up bonus for race betting
Extensive range of horse racing markets
Lots of payment methods

Cons

Customer service isn’t always available

888sport is a firm favourite horse racing betting site. It has loads of promotions and live streams for pretty much every race. The site is easy to navigate, and the layout is easy to understand. Live streaming is generally available, and they have statistics readily available.

BetVictor

Pros

Great daily racing specials
Handy “betfinder” feature
Specialists in horseracing

Cons

You need to place a bet in order to livestream a race

Betvictor is very much aimed at horse racing betting, although they do offer bets on other sports. Their offers particularly favour racing betting, so this is a really good one to check out when looking for a horse racing betting site.

Kwiff

Pros

Live betting
Unique “supercharged” (or “Kwiffed”) odds
24/7 support

Cons

Limited banking options

Kwiff have fantastic offers and promotions, as well as odds being “Kwiffed” seemingly at random, which is a firm favourite with users. Their live betting options are a fantastic addition, and they are fast becoming a firm favourite with punters.

Coral

Pros

Best odds in Ireland racing
Live streaming
Generous welcome bonus

Cons

No in-play betting on horse racing

Coral is another well recognised high street bookies that have transferred their excellent service online. The live streaming is high quality, but you have to have money in your account to watch.

Unibet

Pros

Excellent coverage of horse races
Good odds
The racing app is one of the best around

Cons

Their live support can be relatively slow

Unibet is one of the top horseracing betting sites, and the refer a friend feature could get you around €700, it is a good one to take a look at.

Fansbet

Pros

Generous welcome offer
Plenty of offers for loyal customers
Cash out options

Cons

New and unknown brand

Despite being new, Fansbet is already right up there with some of the more established bookies. It’s defiantly worth a look, to see how you like the format and the site. The cash out option is also a good safety net if you’re just getting started.

Ladbrokes

Pros

Best odds guaranteed
Allows in-play bets and cashing out
Has a huge list of horse racing markets

Cons

Live streaming and cash-out options aren’t available for all races.

Ladbrokes is another established brand that is trustworthy and has plenty of experience. Their results page is a testament to this, as punters can keep a track on their horse’s performance easily.

Introduction

Horse racing is one of the worlds oldest sports, and today around two in five people in Ireland have an interest in horse racing. With the rise of online bookies and live streaming horse races, people can now indulge in a little flutter on the horses without leaving the house. If you’re looking at using a horse racing betting site this article will provide all the information you need to get started.

Horse racing is a year-round sport, and there are two kinds of race; Jump Racing and Flat Racing. Both are just what they sound like, a race with jumps or a race on the flat. Generally, the top flat racing is in the summer, and jump racing is best in the winter. Whatever the race, the key factor is the horse. Even an inexperienced jockey can win on a good horse, and the best rider out there will struggle if the horse is slow. Horses are – in general – quite consistent and predictable in how well they race which makes betting on the horses interesting as it is not entirely pure luck. However, while you can make an educated guess as to how the race will go, as with all betting nothing is set in stone. There are so many factors that can affect a horse’s performance, and experienced punters know all the variables that should be considered. With all this, is it any wonder that horse racing betting sites are so popular?

Horses can run at up to 60 km per hour and are amazing animals in many ways. Experienced bettors can tell a lot about a horse just from the way it walks, its build, and demeanour. However, this doesn’t mean that they are entirely predictable. The fantastic thing about using racing sites to bet is that they have all of the horse’s statistics at your fingertips, meaning you can research the horses easily

Q&A

Question	Answer
What types of races are there?	Flat or Jump
Should I bet on the Jockey or the Horse?	The quality of the horse is more important than the quality of the jockey
When are the best Jump races?	Winter
When are the best Flat races?	Summer
Should I research before betting?	If you want a higher chance of winning, yes

A Guide to Betting on Horse Races Online

When betting online there are many factors to consider, but it can help if you are familiar with the terms and language before you dive in. In this section we’ll give you a brief overview of the types of bet you can place, as well as what to look out for in a racing betting site.

Types of Bets – Quick Guide

The first thing you’ll find when betting online is the many types of bet you can place. A lot of them are combinations of other, and it can get rather complicated, so below we’ve provided a basic guide to the types of bet you might encounter on the horse racing betting site. Bets that contain multiple bets also multiply how much you have to put down for example, if you are placing a single bet, a €1 stake will cost you €1. However, if your bet contains 57 different bets, a €1 stake will cost you €57.

Bet name	Bet explained
Single	Most common bet for beginners on one horse to win one race
Single Stakes About	Place a single bet on two separate events, the second bet relies on the success of the first
Double	Two different horses to win two different races – both must win to win the bet
Double Stakes About	Similar to above, but two selections and two bets. These kinds of bets are also referred to as up-and-down bets.
Treble	Three different horses to win Three different races – both must win to win the bet
Accumulator	A bet on 4-20 horses, all must win for your bet to yield a return
Trixie	Four bets in total on three horses – 3x doubles and 1x treble. Two selections must win for you bet to be successful
Patent	Seven bets in total on three horses – 3x singles, 3x doubles, 1x treble. One selection must win to get a return
Yankee	Eleven bets on four horses. 6x doubles 4x trebles plus a fourfold accumulator
Alphabet	Twenty-six bets on six different horses
Lucky 15	The same as the Yankee but with the addition of x4 singles.
Canadian	Twenty-six bets on five horses
Lucky 31	Thirty-one bets on five horses
Heinz	Fifty-seven bets on six horses
Lucky 63	Sixty-three bets on six horses
Super Heinz	One hundred and twenty bets on seven horses
Goliath	Two hundred and forty-seven bets on eight horses
Round Robin	Ten bets on three horses
Flag	Similar to the Round Robin, but twenty-three bets on four horses
Super Flag	Forty-six bets on five
Super Heinz Flag	One hundred and sixty-two bets on seven horses
Goliath Flag	Three hundred and three bets on eight horses
Each-way	This means that you bet that the horse will come in the top three – also called “place.”
Forecast	Bet on two horses in one race, your selection must come first and second place
Reverse Forecast	Pick two horses that will place first and second.
Combination Forecast	Pick three horses, and two must finish first and second place
Tricast	Pick the horses you think will win first second, and third position
Combination Tricast	Pick the three horses that will cross the finish line first, without determining the order
Match Bet	Place a bet on both outcomes to guarantee a win
Placepot	A pool bet where you pick six horses who you think will place in their respective races.
Jackpot	The same as the placepot except your chosen six have to win their races.

How to Choose a Horse Racing Betting Site

When looking for a site to use when betting on horses, there are a few things you’ll what to look out for. At the end of this article, we have listed out top ten sites, but there are some boxes you’ll defiantly want ticked before you deposit with a site.

Promotions and offers – All betting sites offer bonuses or promotions of some kind, although different sites tend to favour different things. Some will offer free spins for the casino; others will give free bets on football matches. You’ll want to look out for those sites that favour horse racing in their free offers. You can usually find this out by exploring the site itself, but checking reviews is also an option.
Good odds – Many sites will state that they guarantee the best odds, but what does this mean? Horse racing odds are determined depending on the amount of money bet on each horse and each race plus the percentage the bookie wants to keep. This means odds can fluctuate right up until the start of the race. You can check the odds with different sites to determine which are offering better odds, but basically the more popular sites can give better odds than the smaller ones.
Live streaming – The fun of betting on a horse race is watching it, right? Ok, well it might actually be winning the money, but watching the race is fun too. Most sites live stream horse races, which is great for watching how your bet is doing. Finding a site with a good live stream can keep you up to date with the action.
Cash out options – if you’re watching a race and your chosen horse falls right out of the gate, its nice to be able to get a bit of money back. Having a cash out option during races can mean the difference between losing a bit and losing a lot!
News updates – sites with live racing news updates can save you time scrawling through the internet. You’ll want a site that has “everything under one roof” so to speak.

Popular Events

Now you’ve got to grips with the types of bets, you just need to choose an event. Of course, the best thing about betting online is that there are no restrictions as to when you can bet, and you will have access to races worldwide. That being said, there are many important racing events that you won’t want to miss. Here are our top picks of events that will be covered by all the top horse racing betting sites, and most will also provide live stream coverage of the event.

Punchestown Festival

Punchestown racecourse is known internationally as being the home of jump racing, also known as National Hunt, in Ireland. Of all the racing events that take place at Punchestown, this one is the biggest. The event takes place in April, starting on a Tuesday and running through until the following Saturday. It is full of exciting races such as the Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle.

The Curragh Derby Festival

As ‘Curragh’ means the place of the running horse, it should come as no surprise that the Curragh racetrack is world-renowned. The venue hosts all five Irish Classic Races and is also home to the second day of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend. The Curragh Derby is usually held around the end of June or beginning of July, and it is easily Ireland’s most glamourous horse racing festival. This three-day festival offers the biggest prize in Irish horse racing, and the rich and famous come from far and wide just to be seen at this event. Now, you can feel part of the action from the comfort of your sofa thanks to the numerous horse racing betting sites that cover the race.

Galway Summer Festival

This weeklong event starts on the last Monday of July, and it’s a firm favourite with and race goers and online punters. In fact, many deem this event to be “unmissable” The festival sees seven days of racing action, including the Galway Hurdle Handicap and the Galway Plate Chase Handicap. To many, this festival is one of the most iconic race meetings worldwide.

The Listowel Harvest Festival

Horses have been raced at Listowel since 1858, and there are many events held here including a two-day festival in June. But one of the longest and most prestigious is the Harvest Festival. This event usually takes place around mid-September and lasts seven days. There are plenty of races to bet on, but the highlight is the Kerry National Chase handicap that is always held on the Wednesday.

Fairyhouse Easter Festival

This is one of the most anticipated events in the Irish racing calendar. In 2023, it will take place from Saturday the 8^th to Monday the 10^th of April. While there are races spanning the entire three days, bookmakers and punters alike will be focusing on Easter Monday, as this is when the BoyleSports Irish Grand National takes place. One horse racing site, Unibet, has stated that this meeting is one of the most popular events each year. The charm of this event is down to the many memorable occasions that have happened over the years and the parade of legendary horses that have raced there such as Desert Orchid, Brown Lad, Arkle, Bobbyjo, Commanche Court, and Organisedconfusion.

Some Horses to Watch Out For

So now you have some ideas about how and when to bet, now you just have to decide which horse to bet on. Here is a brief list of horses that you might want to watch out for in 2023. However, it’s always worth doing your own research. Following our recommendations, or anyone else’s for that matter, is never a guarantee of a win. No matter how sure you are of a win, you should always gamble responsibly and never wager more than you can afford to lose.

Tudor City

Trainer: AJ Martin. Owner: John Breslin

Runs	4
1^st place	2
2^nd place	0
3^rd place	0
4^th place	1
Win Money	€171,600
Place Money	€2,250
Total Prize Money	€173,850

Hewick

Trainer: John Joseph Hanlon. Owner TJ McDonald

Runs	3
1^st place	1
2^nd place	1
3^rd place	0
4^th place	0
Win Money	€162,000
Place Money	€6,000
Total Prize Money	€168,000

Busselton

Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien. Owner Michael Hilary Burke

Runs	2
1^st place	1
2^nd place	1
3^rd place	0
4^th place	0
Win Money	€120,000
Place Money	€16,000
Total Prize Money	€136,000

Easy Game

Trainer: WP Mullins. Owner: Nicholas Peacock

Runs	6
1^st place	5
2^nd place	0
3^rd place	0
4^th place	0
Win Money	€83,700
Place Money	€0
Total Prize Money	€83,750

Prairie Dancer

Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien. Owner: Sean Sweeney/Kieran O’Hare

Runs	6
1^st place	3
2^nd place	1
3^rd place	1
4^th place	0
Win Money	€50,400
Place Money	€30,200
Total Prize Money	€80,600

The great thing about using horse racing betting sites is that you will be able to easily access all the statistics about the horses in the race. Along with latest news, weather updates, and information about the jockey, most sites will have all the information that you need to make an informed choice.

What Betting Offers Can You Expect To Find At Horse Racing Betting Sites?

The best betting sites typically have a range of betting offers available to give you a more enjoyable and engaging experience. Here are the most common betting offers you are likely to find on horse racing betting sites:

Deposit / sign-up bonuses: With this type of betting offer, you receive a cash bonus once you sign up and make your first deposit. For example, get a free €20 when you bet €10. These offers are typically very easy to claim. It’s as simple as signing up, making the specified deposit amount and automatically receiving your bonus. Some websites, however, do require a coupon or promo code to claim your bonus so be sure to check the details of the offer.
No deposit bonus: Some horse racing betting sites will allow you to try their services for free before you make a decision. With this type of betting offer, you will get free cash or free bets for signing up to their website, giving you the opportunity to see if they are the right bookmaker for you. The amounts offered are typically lower than deposit bonuses but it does give you the potential for a win without spending any money.
Free bets: Rather than offering a cash amount upon sign-up, some sites offer free bets. It’s also possible to get free bets in other ways once you are signed up. For example, the betting site might offer a free bet if your horse finishes 2^nd to the favourite, or money back as a free bet if your horse fails to start.
Running promotions and offers: Many of the best horse racing betting sites will feature ongoing offers and promotions to keep their loyal customers happy and provide an ongoing great experience. These running promotions and offers could include loyalty points, cashback offers, enhanced odds, weekly or monthly prize draws, accumulator bonuses and more. These allow you to make the most of your money and increase your chance of a win.
Casino betting offers: If the betting site you have chosen covers more than just horse racing and also offers casino games, they may run casino betting offers. So, instead of receiving a deposit bonus or free bets, they may give free spins on specific slot machines.

Using a Website to Bet on Horse Racing

The best thing about using a horse racing betting site is that you don’t even need to leave the house to enjoy a day at the races!

Since Covid, online betting has experienced a surge – and horse racing betting is no exception. With everything you need at your fingertips, it’s no wonder that so many people are choosing to bet and watch the races online. At the end of this article, we review our top ten sites to use for horse racing batting, but for now I’ll talk you through using a website to place a bet.

But before you place any bets, you’ll have to sign up. Some sites will let you place a bet as a ‘guest,’ but many require you to create an account first. Sites will also often offer sign-up bonuses, so its worth the effort.

Once you’ve picked the site you want to use, go to their landing page to create an account. The button for this is usually in the top right-hand corner, as is the case with 888sport.

To sign up you will have to provide various details depending on the site, as well as confirm you are over eighteen and that you have read the terms and conditions.

You will usually have to set some sort of security measures, such as a password and security question.

Finally, you’ll provide more personal information – this is to try and prevent fraud as well as users opening multiple accounts. Usually, you will choose your currency at this stage. As different sites have different rules and practices, it’s a good idea to at least skim through the T&Cs to make sure you adhere to all the rules, as winnings can be withheld if you are found to have violated any conditions.

Once you’ve logged in, you’re free to scope out the site before you make a deposit, and as soon as you add money to your site account, you’re free to bet.

Most sites are pretty easy to navigate, to find horse racing on 888sport you just click the horses head icon on the landing page.

You’ll then get to select what race you’d like to bet on from the page heading. You can see upcoming races, search for races in the “meetings” section, or look for specific horses/jockeys. You can also look up details and stats about the horses.

Once you’ve found the race you want to bet on, you can choose to bet “win only” or “Forecast” which horse will place and in what position.

By clicking the drop down next to the horse’s odds, you can see the latest statistics for that horse. To select a horse, click on the box with the odds and your selection will appear in the right-hand column. You can then place your wager and choose Each Way if you want. Your return will be shown once you’ve entered your bet.

Choosing a horse and entering your wager

From here you can also choose to live stream the race by clicking the orange “watch” tab.

You can then click on the races at the top of the page to select more horses. Once you have selected two you will have the option to choose an accumulator or a double.