When discussing trading horse racing on Betfair, understanding key price movement indicators is essential for making informed decisions.
These indicators, when used wisely in conjunction with the BetAngel software, can significantly increase the likelihood of success.
In this article, we'll explore three valuable horse trading indicators I've used over the years and how they can help you to identify the best trading opportunities.
I want you to scalp out simple profits safely, let’s go!
Automated Trading: Securing A Rapid Entry & Exit Point
First, I need to make sure you are trading in the safest way.
All the trading indicators I mention in this post rely on using the “Offset Bet” feature inside BetAngel.
When it comes to using Bet Angel, the automatic offset bet feature is absolutely essential for any successful strategy.
As you can see from the screenshot below, I have my own personal settings for utilizing this feature.
By enabling the offset feature, Bet Angel can automatically place the opposing trade in mere microseconds.
This significantly improves your chances of having your bet matched on both sides much faster.
The beauty of the automatic offset bet feature is that it allows you to place bets on both sides of a market simultaneously.
This means that you can take advantage of any price movements in either direction, without having to constantly monitor the market and manually place trades.
Instead, Bet Angel does all the hard work for you, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your strategy.
Of course, in order to make the most of the automatic offset bet feature, it's important to have your settings configured correctly.
As you can see from my own personal settings in the screenshot above, I have set the offset amount to 1 tick, which means that the opposing trade will be placed 1 tick away from my original bet.
This ensures that I am always getting the best possible price, while also minimizing my risk.
So if you're not already using it, be sure to give it a try and see the difference it can make to your trading strategy.
Now, let me show you these three trading indicators…
Indicator No.1 - The 60 Seconds Sniper Indicator
The horse markets are often unpredictable and volatile, meaning it is easy to use this volatility to your advantage.
One such indicator that has proven to be effective in my experience is what I call the "60 Seconds Sniper Indicator".
This indicator is effective within 3 mintutes before the off, when prices can fluctuate wildly.
The Setup: What To Look For
The concept behind the 60 Seconds Sniper Indicator is straightforward: it operates on the basis of identifying significant price movements, while also monitoring the behaviour of the horses via live video feed.
To apply this strategy, you start by meticulously watching the market in the final minute before a race.
Your aim is to spot any horse that drifts (price increases) or steams (price decreases) more than 5 or 6 ticks within this the 60 second timeframe.
It's essential that you simultaneously keep a close eye on the live video feed to ensure the horse's behaviour isn't the cause of the price shift.
If the horses appear calm and focused but the prices are shifting rapidly, that's your cue to enter for a quick scalp.
This suggests that the price change is due to normal market factors rather than the horse's physical actions or demeanour.
The Entry Point: When To Enter
Once you've identified a significant price shift (5 or 6 ticks + ) that seems unrelated to the horse's behaviour, it's time to make your move.
If the price has drifted, you would enter a back bet, betting that the price will decrease.
Conversely, if the price has steamed, you would place a lay bet, predicting that the price will rise.
You are only scalping one tick, no more.
Advanced tip: you can place a bet 5 ticks above/below of the price anticipating a shift in odds and start a timer for 60 seconds. If the price does not reach your bet before the 60 seconds are done, cancel the order and place another queued bet. This ensures you are always ahead but requires more concentration and planning.
The Exit Point
The rationale behind this is straightforward: Traders who were in the market when the price shifted will likely be looking to exit their positions, leading to price volatility.
This presents an excellent opportunity to scalp a profit as the prices shift.
Your goal: Scalp out one tick only. Do not be greedy because the price can easily go against you.
Timing is Key
It's important to note that the 60 Seconds Sniper Indicator is only used in the last minute before the race begins.
This is because traders are forced to exit their positions before the off, creating the wild price fluctuations that this strategy capitalises on.
However, as with any trading strategy, it requires patience, precision and a keen eye for detail.
And remember, no strategy guarantees a profit - each trade carries risk, so always trade responsibly. You are not predicting a trade, you are reacting to it.
Make sure you use the offset feature to automatically place the opposing trade with BetAngel as discussed earlier in this post.
Indicator No.2 - The Resistance Point Bounce Indicator
The crux of the Resistance Point Bounce Indicator lies in its name: you are looking for points of resistance, which are prices that a market rarely surpasses.
These points can be found at 'round' odds (such as 3.0, 4.0, 6.0), where psychologically, traders perceive value.
The belief underlying this strategy is that when a price hits a resistance point, there's a strong probability it will 'bounce' back rather than break through or form a new baseline of matched bets to stabilise at that point and represents a great scalping opportunity.
The Entry Point
To optimise your chances of success when betting, it's crucial to be at the front of the queue on the betting ladder.
For instance, if you're aiming for a resistance point of 6.0, but the current traded price is at 5.5, you'll need to place your bets at the queue positions of 6, 6.2, and 6.4, with the objective of being the first in line.
The same principle applies if you're trading further down the ladder on the left-hand side. It's vital to be the first person matched so that the resistance increases when there are further bets to be matched after you, increasing the likelihood that you can scratch off a quick scalp.
If your bet sits at the top of a large pile of hundreds of bets, the market's price may have drifted against you by the time your bet is matched.
Therefore, it's crucial to be matched quickly to minimise this risk.
Place your queued bets ahead of the resistance point using the offset BetAngel feature and wait for the price to move towards you.
The Exit Point
Once the bets are matched, BetAngel automatically places the opposing lay or back bet and you scalp out one tick of profit.
The safest way to trade this strategy is to aim for quick trades, taking only one tick of profit.
This is because the longer your position is open, the higher the risk of the price moving against you.
It's important to remember that the resistance point is not always clear-cut, and the price may not always bounce back, depending on the sentiment of the whole market.
For instance, a horse may be acting up on the live video feed, or there may have been a large lay bet of £5,000 placed on another horse without your knowledge.
That's why it's best to get in and out of trades as quickly as possible.
It's also reassuring to know that there are no emotions involved when using BetAngel, and all you need to do is wait for the price to move to your queued-up bets.
Indicator No.3 - The Front Runner Flow
The Front Runner Flow strategy revolves around identifying the front-runner horse - the one that will take the lead at the start of the race - and capitalising on the resulting price movements.
A key element of this strategy involves careful observation of the live video feed, in the final 30 seconds leading up to the start of the race.
The Setup: Identifying the Front Runner
To implement this strategy effectively, you must first understand what you're looking for.
The front-runner horse will be the one that is clearly lining up to take the lead at the start of the race.
This could be signalled by the horse's position, body language, or the jockey's actions.
You can also check the horse information on the bookmakers because many horses are regular front runners.
The Entry Point
As other in-play traders recognise the potential front-runner, they're likely to place back bets on that horse, anticipating a strong performance.
This increase in back bets leads to a decrease in the horse's price in the 30 seconds before the off.
You can take advantage of this by placing a back bet on the front-runner as well as soon as you've identified it, then laying the bet off as the price decreases.
You are following the flow of the bets.
This allows you to lock in a profit before the race has even started.
The Exit Point
The exit point is immediate; you want to do this safely and without any emotion.
Scalp out one tick using the offset feature of BetAngel and get in and out as soon as you can.
As soon as you spot the price is coming in, you enter and scalp out one tick only.
Proceed with Caution
The Front Runner Flow strategy is all about timing. It's crucial to green up before the race starts, as once the race goes in-play, prices can become highly volatile, and the risks substantially increase.
While it can be tempting to hold out for further price decreases in-play, the potential losses, if the front-runner fails to perform, are huge.
Why These Indicators Are Great For Beginners
In my personal opinion, these horse racing trading indicators are ideal for beginners as they are quite easy to identify.
If you are looking for quick and secure trades, then these indicators are definitely what you need because the entry and exit points are very clear.
Moreover, they tend to appear in almost every race, which means that you can make consistently small profits.
However, the most crucial aspect is to maintain consistency and emotional stability.
You should not be too greedy as trying to scalp 3 or 4 ticks instead of 1 (as recommended) because it leads to quick losses.
It is much more profitable to scalp out one small tick per horse per trade, instead of letting your emotions dictate your actions.
I recommend reading my complete scalping guide so you can dive deep into becoming a consistently profitable trader.
