With so many feature and televised races coupled with increased sponsorship in racing there are now lots of free bet, bonus and money back specials available to punters. Before you place a bet on a horse or greyhound race be sure to check if there are free bet offers around that can go a great way to enhancing the value of your bets and the size of your winnings.
In this article we discuss some of the most common free bet and bonus offers available for horse racing and greyhound racing. Further down this page we look at money back offers for racing, such as beaten by a length or money back second. Most racing promotions are applicable to select races or meetings, will have minimum odds, maximum refunds or additional terms. These are all detailed below so you can find the promotion that fits the way you want to bet on horse or greyhound races. We only list good value long term retention offers from our recommended bookies, designed to give you ongoing value.
Horse Racing Free Bets and Bonuses
Unibet push a lot of prices every day on a wider range of sports than many other bookmakers. Their basic odds are fairly average but with their Uniboost feature you can actually pick what racing bet you want the odds enhance on. In our experience the boost adds up to around 5-7% extra.
You can claim up to three boosts each day that can be applied to single win bets or the win part of each way bets up to a stake of £20 maximum. There no odds restrictions, although you can only use it on that days racing not ante-post bets or specials.
Uniboosts are only available for horse racing, greyhound racing and harness / trotting. If not used they expire at midnight and are not rolled over, although the next day you will get another three boosts allocated. Best odds guarantee also still applies with Uniboosts so if the price you get is worse than the Starting Price you will get the SP.
In addition to this great feature Hill’s also enhance a ton of racing bets each day. They cover all sports but of particular note are their horse racing price enhancements which tend to be generally bigger, more frequent and better than with other betting sites.
Unibet’s standard odds can sometimes leave a lot to be desired although they do push more lines than most and so on balance this is a good value bookie. Worth checking in daily to see what is available or at least to boost the one line of your choice.
If you place a 2+ multiple bet on any horse racing Quinnbet they will give you a bonus as a free bet if your bet wins.
The enhancement starts at 2% for a double, 5% for a treble, 10% for a 4-fold and 20% for a bet with five or more selections. The extra winnings are paid as a free bet up to a maximum of £50 per day.
The token itself must be used at 1/2+ odds but can be wagered on any sporting events on site. It is valid for one week from issue.
This offer applies to all UK and Irish horse racing and can be claimed multiple times, cashed out bets however will not be eligible for any bonus.
Horse Racing Money Back Offers
BetVictor are famed for being a pioneer in terms of bookmaker offers and this is a new deal that certainly ticks that box. It is frustrating as punter when your horse loses before it has even got out of the stalls but as the race has already come under starters orders you are not entitled to money back for a non-runner. BetVictor however will give you your stake back if a horse comes under starter’s orders but then fails to get away properly. This applies if the horse refuses or whips around at the start, fails to come out or loses all chance at the stalls.
The best part is your stake is refunded in real cash not as a free token or bonus and is limited up to £25,000 in any given day. There are no minimum odds or other restrictions and the guarantee applies to all British and Irish horse racing. BetVictor also have best odds guaranteed.
Quinnbet’s stake refund if your horse is second to the starting price favourite is reliable as it applies to all races, each and every day. If you bet a lot on racing with stakes around £10 then you are going to find a lot of added value betting with this deal.
The promotion applies to all races each day during the flat and jump racing season and can be claimed once each race. The maximum refund is £10 with no minimum threshold about the standard minimum stake limits. Free bets are credited by midday the next day and remain valid for one week to be used on any sports you like with odds of 1/2+.
If you are going to bet on these meetings any way and the odds are decent it really does make sense to bet Quinnbet to get a level of insurance. The bookie also offers a range of other bonus and money back promos alongside.
Betfred’s best feature is their coverage, promotions and depth of market when it comes horse racing. This is reflected in the number and frequency of offers available on a daily basis.
One offer you an guarantee daily is the money back second promotion. The type of offer varies but all give you money back for finishing second and some with added conditions, here are some examples:
- Money back second – usually a specific race, occasionally including third place for feature races like Cheltenham.
- Money back second to the favourite – more common covering more races, often including 3rd and 4th places for feature races.
- Beaten by a length / half a length – generally for select meetings daily in the flat season.
Most of these offers pay up to £25 (some pay £10) and don’t have any specific minimum. Refunds are given as a free bet although this is unrestricted and can be used on any markets, any sports.
Betfred are worth checking into on a daily basis to see what races or meetings they are covering for money back, and note that these offers are in addition their long standing racing value promotions. The bookie also streams races live and have a good track record for odds prices and place terms.
This feature offer from Coral has been going for years now and is available for ITV and other select racing (and often other feature races at home and abroad) during the flat season.
If you back any horse in a qualifying races with a stake of £1+ and the horse loses by a length or less (see bottom of page for definition of a length) get a refund as a free bet equal to your stake up to £10. The free bet will be credited by midday the day after at the very latest and can be used on any horse racing within the next 7 days.
The offer applies to win bets only and can be claimed on every available race on bets placed from 8am on the day of the race until the start of the race. If the decision is a dead heat then both horses will qualify for a free bet.
This is one of many racing promotions from Coral that also includes faller insurance in the jump season and best odds guaranteed, along with full streaming and fantastic stats.
Greyhound Racing Betting Offers
This promotion from Quinnbet, a top Irish bookie serious about dog racing, gives you 5% of your bets back as a free bet. If you place bets at 6/4 (2.5) or greater odds with £5+ minimum stakes overall then you can get 5% of that back each day, whether your bets win or lose.
Money is returned up to £10 as a free bet token that can be used on any sports markets over the following 7 days with a price of 1/2 or greater.
Punters are able to claim this in every available race. It is also available for in play bets on any sport and accas.
One of the only bookies these days still serious about Greyhound racing is Quinnbet. Their long running money back second to the starting price favourite promotion covers several select meeting every day and will give you your win stake back as a free bet up to £10 if you are beaten by the SP favourite.
The favourite must go off at odds of 6/4 or higher to qualify and it only applies to bets placed on the day. If two dogs go off as joint-favourites then both are classed as SP favourites. Minimum 6+ runners required.
Common Racing Free Bet Terms and Conditions
- Minimum Odds – Many free bet deals have minimum odds, you will not qualify for the offer if you back a horse or dog with shorter odds. If horses are withdrawn or disqualified odds may be adjusted through Rule 4 and this may invalid any offer if your pick then falls below the threshold.
- Each Way – Most free bet offers apply to win only or the win component of an each way bet. For example with Bet365 4/1 deal if you back a 4/1+ horse each way and it places you will only get a free bet if your winnings are less than your stake and then only to the difference between the winnings and the stake. If your place winnings are higher no free bet is awarded.
- Ante Post and Parimutual – Most of these offers including the Bet365 free bets are not available on ante-post enhanced Win bets, Tote/Pari-Mutuel (bets and dividends), and ‘Not to Win’ bets.
- Live Races – Free bet offers on live TV races are restricted to races broadcast live not races that are shown later as replays.
- Next Race – Many of these offers provide a free bet on the next qualifying race. If you fail to bet on the NEXT race you could lose your free bet so only take up this offer if you know you are able to stake on the next race. If the bet is placed on the last qualifying race of the day the free bet will then be available for the first race of the next scheduled qualifying meeting.
- Multiple Bets – Free bet offers apply to the first bet placed on a qualifying race, any other bets will simply be classed as a standard bet even if to a higher value. Put your highest value qualifying bet on first if you plan to place multiple singles on a race.
- Maximum Refunds – Where free bets roll over there may be a maximum limit on bonus winnings in any one day. This is £500 for example with the Bet365 Sky Dogs 2/1 promotion.
Common Money Back Terms & Conditions
- Places – Most money back offers are given if your horse finishes second. Even if you take an offer such as “money back if beaten by a length” and your horse is beaten by less than a length but finishes third you will not be paid out. Around some of the top race meetings however you can find offers such as “money back if your horse doesn’t place”.
- Refund – Check what type of “money back” you will receive. Most money back offers are in the form of free bets, free bet stakes are not returned when you wager. Other offers refund money as bonus cash that will have rollover requirements and / or minimum odds. On occasion you will be refunded in cash.
- Free Bets and Bonuses – There are two main things to check when you are refunded by free bet. Is the free bet restricted, i.e. does it need to be wagered on the next race, racing or is it open to be staked on whatever you want? How long is the free bet valid? Most free bets expire after one week some expire after as little as 24 hours.
- Outsiders and Rule 4 – Some money back deals are based on your horse being beaten by an outsider with certain odds (e.g. > 10/1). If the field is reduced due to nonstarters or disqualified horses then the odds may reduce under Rule 4 and this may void any offer you have taken.
- Maximum Refund – Stake returned deals are generally capped at around £25-50.
- Minimum Bet – You may need to stake a minimum amount to active the offer.
- Ante Post and Tote Betting – Many of these refund promotions are not available for ante-post bets or pari-mutuel bets. See our Lucky 15 offers and totepool articles for information about tote offers.
- Multiple Bets on the Same Race – Money back generally will apply to the first qualifying bet on a race, if you make multiple single bets these will be classed as standard wagers.
- Starting Price Favourite – Some offers give refunds specifically if your horse is second (or a given number of places) to the SP favourite. This is not necessarily the favourite at the time you place your bet. Obviously if your horse is the SP favourite then there is no way you can qualify for this insurance
- Winning Distance – A lot of refunds are applied if your horse is beaten by less than a set distance such as a head. The table below show these distances. Be careful of terminology, some offers will say ‘a length or less’ this includes being beaten by exactly a length, others will way ‘less than a length’ and these will not return your stake if beaten by exactly a length.