Betting in running is something that you can do with a growing number of bookmakers, and involves betting after a horse race has already started. You could place a bet just after the off, just before the horses reach the finish line or anywhere in-between. But what is the value of betting in running? Read on and we’ll tell you…

To start with, betting in running allows you to wait and see if you can obtain betting odds that you have decided make it worthwhile for you to place a bet. For example, if you have decided that a certain horse would be worth betting on at 3/1, and the price is 11/4 just before the off, you could wait until the race gets underway to see if the 3/1 becomes available. The odds available about each horse change as the race unfolds, so such an outcome is perfectly possible. Of course, whether the horse in question wins or not is another matter entirely.

Another advantage of betting in running is that it allows you to see if a certain horse looks comfortable in the early stages of the race. This is particularly useful if the horse has recovered from an injury or illness, and you aren’t 100% sure if it is yet back to its old self. Watching the horse run the first few furlongs could be enough to put your mind at rest, in which case you might strike a bet, or confirm your doubts, in which case you would probably refrain from betting altogether.

If you bet with an exchange such as Betfair, you can lay in running as well as bet in running, and this makes it possible to both open and close a position before the race has finished. For example, you could bet £20 on a 2/1 shot just after the off and then lay the same horse for £20 at odds of 1/2 as the race approaches its conclusion. This would give you a break-even situation if that horse lost, but £30 profit if it wins (£40 profit from the bet minus £10 loss from the lay).

Those of you who are interested in betting in running would do well to begin with minimum stakes, and that’s because betting in running takes some time to get used to. The betting market changes very quickly when betting in running, and you need to learn how to respond to such changes effectively to make the most of opportunities as they come along.

Betfair has a great demo of betting in running (which is referred to there as the In-Play Bet) so it would be well worth checking out if you are thinking about pursuing this form of betting further. Visit Betfair now to take a look.