Ah the horse races! If you've ever wanted to join this elite club, donning your hat and binoculars to see the jockeys on the thoroughbreds racing around the track... By jove this is for you. The Pick 6 is an excellent bet for those who would like to place small stakes and stand a chance of having a large return. Read on for all the tips and tricks you'll need to up your chances of that large return...

Win big at the races with these little known tips...

The Tote Pick 6 is a very popular bet, which often pays out life-changing sums of money to those who win. Pick 6 pay-outs exceed R10 000 on many occasions, and only rarely fall below R1 000.The Pick 6 is therefore an excellent bet for those who would like to place small stakes and stand a chance of having a large return when – and if – you land a winning line.

Lady Luck is not nearly as reliable as you are

The aim of the Pick 6 is to find the winner of the six designated races at a meeting, which are normally the last six races of the day. If skill is coupled with a simple permutation or two, your chances of success are far greater (as always) than if you based your entry on luck alone. The Pick 6 is a pool bet, which means that stakes are gathered together and then divided between the winners proportionately. If there is no winner on any given day, the pool is carried forward to the next Pick 6 meeting. It is this carryover factor that makes payouts of R10 000 and more possible. As any regular Pick 6 player will tell you, there is no one strategy that can be followed step-by-step in order to land a winning line. Instead, each race has to be viewed as a challenge in its own right. Concentrate on studying one race at a time and select the horse or horses that you feel have the greatest chance of winning. When this has been done, your jackpot entry can be formulated by simply perm’ing your selections together, as explained below.

A few characteristics you should consider when formulating your Jackpot bet

If a horse has not been placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in its last two races of the current season, it is unlikely to win its next race. Strike out all such horses unless they are:

    * having their first or second run of the season
    * ridden by a top jockey
    * trained by a top trainer

In handicap races, give preference to horses that are in the top half of the handicap. In non-handicap races, give preference to horses that appear in the first half of a reliable betting forecast. In races where the draw is likely to have an effect, give preference to horses that are well drawn. This information can be found in all national daily newspapers,but if in doubt, ask your bookmaker. In races of four or less runners, be prepared for a ‘shock’ result. Do not think that just because the race has a low number of runners, you can afford to select one as a banker. The truth is that even 1/10 shots get beaten every once in a while.
 

Make the trainer and jockey earn their keep

If you find it difficult to select horses using form alone as a guide, bring trainer and jockey form into the equation. Studying trainers and jockeys often makes it possible to find horses that have little form to speak of, but which eventually go on to win quite soundly at very good odds. Once you have made your selections in each of the first six races of the Pick 6 meeting, all you need to do is transfer them onto a Pick 6 betting slip. Selected horses are referred to by their numbers rather than names, and the total cost of the bet is determined by the total number of lines that are present in your permutation.

How to formulate your permutations

The number of lines in a permutation is calculated by multiplying the number of selections in each race. For example, if you have selected two horses in each of the six races, the number of lines would be 64 (2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64) or R64 stakes.
The Pick 6 has been described as the ‘challenge supreme’ for form students. The often mammoth payouts it gives are by no means free tickets – they are simply a reflection of how difficult it is for the average man in the street to win.

As your knowledge of horse evaluation increases and your selection skills develop, your chances of cracking the Tote Jackpot will also increase. When that glorious day comes, the associated profit could change your life forever. One big win is all it takes....

Wealth warning: You should only gamble with money you can afford to lose.