Trifecta
For thousands of years people have been betting on horses and their skilled riders. While it's fairly easy to imagine the Romans wagering a gold coin on their favoured chariot, it's pretty hard to imagine they had they kind of advanced system of betting which allows for such curiously termed bets as a Super Yankee, Goliath and Trifecta.

Trifecta, inside rail The Trifecta is one of the most loved and used bets in modern horse racing and there are many reasons for this. The first being that the dividends are quite high if the punter wins, and it is also one of the easiest bets to understand, which is quite rare thing, since many of the bets like the Goliath and Yankee require a great deal of calculation and generally demand more from the punter.

These two bets, like others which have similar structures and are based on 'accumulator' principles, pay extremely well if they work out, but a lot has come together before a punter can collect their winnings. The Goliath, by way of example, is a bet which covers eight selections. Essentially, it pays off when a total of 247 bets, including everything from doubles to an eight fold accumulator, comes in.

To take on the Goliath you really have to have a great deal of savvy with both the system of betting, the nature of odds, as well as know quite a lot about the horses you're backing, the track they're running and all the conditions which might influence an outcome. Needless to say, if your 'handicapping' is top notch and you're comfortable with such a complex bet, then you stand a better chance of being the happy winning-ticket holder than anyone else, and even then the chances are slim.

The beauty of the Trifecta is that it pays well, though not quite as well as the Goliath, but it's far easier to grasp. This doesn't mean that the punter doesn't have to known about the horses, track and potential influences, just that the nature of the bet is more simplistic. This is probably one of the reasons it has become a very popular bet. Additionally, unlike bets which accumulate over the course of a meeting, the Trifecta is for a single race. The simple beauty of it is you win if you select the first, second and third horses across the winning post in the correct order. It almost the ideal bet for those who have practiced their handicapping and don't want to get bogged down in the complexities of accumulator bets.

It is a great bet for those who have been paying attention to the details of horse, rider, trainer and track, and know how to spot a true favourite over a hyped-up favourite. This is when the Trifecta can really become something special, in terms of the winning amount.

Since the bookmakers select their own odds, based on various criteria, the odds can vary considerably and a smart punter who is keeping his eye attuned to the details of the fixture and the horses, will be able to spot a chance for a ‘value’ bet.

If this happens and the first, second and third are the horses you select in the same order, then you'll be smiling all the way to the bookmaker who took your wager. 		Trifecta, winner

Totes operate differently to bookmakers, which is why there are different types of bets available at the tote and the bookmaker, but there are some bets which the tote will take. The main difference between the tote and the bookmakers is that, with the former, you’re betting into a pool which is then divided amongst the winners. With the bookmakers, you’re betting against them directly. This can significantly affect the odds people are looking for, and the experienced punter can often be found placing a bet with a tote for one race and with a bookmaker for the next.

Trifecta, photo finish Those new to the often tricky art of placing a bet, can take comfort that there is no need to rush right in. It's not very hard to make a small profit if you just back a horse to 'place'. Even to select a winner is not that difficult. It's when you start wanting to bet Doubles, Trifecta, Trixies and Accumulators that you have to start analysing all the information you can find to make and educated guess about the outcome of more than one race.

Fortunately, there is a difficulty scale for bets and it's much easier to find out all you need to make an informed wager on a Double than it is to do the same with, say, a Trixie. But those who find their way to the Goliath and feel they’ve given it the right amount of thought, all started off with a 'place' or a 'win'.

One of the great boons of the digital revolution is that punters no longer have to venture to the course, or even leave the comfort of the house, to bet on fixtures around the country. From odds calculators to being able to compare odds between bookmakers and the relatively new area of Betting Exchanges, the serious punter might have to sacrifice a close-up inspection of the favourite as he is trotted around the parade ring, but he can have the whole world's racing right at his fingertips. Of course, the home punter won’t be short-changed of success, drama and disappointment, but many would argue that half the fun comes from being in the centre of the hustle and bustle of a racecourse with others who are all sharing in the experience.