Caulfield Guineas betting is one of the biggest attractions at Australian online bookmakers each year. As one of the Spring Racing Carnival’s major races, the Caulfield Guineas inspires even the most casual of punters to have a go.
This guide will help you get the most out of your Caulfield Guineas betting, with information for novice and experienced bettors alike.
Standard Caulfield Guineas Bets
Most Caulfield Guineas betting is on win, place or each-way bets. These are the easiest bet types to understand, which is why they are so popular with beginners.
Win – This is a bet on a horse to win the Caulfield Guineas.
Place – This is a bet on a horse to come first, second or third in the Caulfield Guineas.
Each-Way – This is actually two bets of equal size on the same horse: one for the horse to win the Caulfield Guineas, and one on the horse to come first, second or third.
While you can be forgiven for thinking your Caulfield Guineas betting is safer with win bets than exotic bets, you would be wrong. Often exotic bets such as box trifectas and quinellas can be better value.
Caulfield Guineas Quinella
A Caulfield Guineas quinella is a bet on which two horses will finish in first and second place, in any order. In the 2009 race, if you had a Caulfield Guineas quinella on Starspangledbanner and Carrara, you would have won regardless of which of them came first or second.
If there are two runners at comparably low odds in the Caulfield Guineas betting odds, then it is worthwhile considering a quinella, especially if the two runners have wins over one another in previous races at a similar distance.
Caulfield Guineas Exacta
A Caulfield Guineas exacta is a bet on the two horses that will finish in first and second, in exact order. If you had an exacta on the 2009 race with Carrara in first and Starspangledbanner in second, then you would have lost. If you had the exacta in the reverse order, then you would have won.
If you aren’t confident in picking the exacta correctly, then it is better to consider a quinella or a box exacta bet that will cover multiple combinations.
Caulfield Guineas Trifecta
First, a reminder of what a trifecta is for those who are unfamiliar with the bet.
A trifecta is a bet on which horses will place first, second and third – in exact order. For example, a winning Caulfield Guineas trifecta in the 2009 race would have:
1st – Starspangledbanner
2nd – Carrara
3rd – Manhattan Rain
The horses are chosen in exact order of their finishing. If Carrara had come third and Manhattan Rain had come second, this bet would not have won.
Picking a Caulfield Guineas trifecta can be tricky, but there are a few indicator races worth watching for Caulfield Guineas tips. The most obvious is the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, which is only slightly shorter. The HDF McNeil Stakes also marks out potential Caulfield Guineas performers, so keep an eye on the first 5 finishers for Caulfield Guineas trifecta hints.
Most experienced bettors reduce the difficulty of exactly picking the trifecta by placing a box trifecta instead. Learning how to place a box trifecta will improve your Caulfield Guineas betting dramatically.
With a box trifecta, you can choose as many of the runners as you like to come in the first three places. Your bet will be on every trifecta combination of the runners you chose. The only downside to this bet is cost – you are essentially placing individual bets on every trifecta combination you think will happen.
Caulfield Guineas First Four
Like the trifecta and exacta, a Caulfield Guineas First Four bet requires you pick the horses in exact order. You must correctly choose the runners to come in first, second, third and fourth place.
Obviously this isn’t the easiest bet to make, but it can be incredibly lucrative. As with the trifecta, it is easier to place a box Caulfield Guineas First Four bet where you may choose a larger number of horses to finish in the first four places.
FlexiBet at Sportsbet will allow you to do this at less expense, giving you more flexibility in planning your Caulfield Guineas betting selections. An example strategy is to place a First Four box bet that includes all the top 5 finishers of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and the HDF McNeil Stakes that are running in the Caulfield Guineas.
