There are few better ways of spending Stephen’s Day than heading for a day at the races in Leopardstown and this beginner’s guide to the Tote might help you leave with a few quid in your pocket.
With all the money spent on Christmas shopping and in a hectic social calendar over the festive season, Lord knows we could do with getting a few quid back in our pockets at every opportunity.
A few nice winners at the races would make what is always a great day at Leopardstown even better and there’s no easier way to have a flutter than with Tote Ireland, who provide a wide variety of betting options for all race goers.
The Tote is the simplest way to place a bet at the races, with Tote betting facilities in all locations on track. The Tote give all their profits back into horse racing, so by supporting the Tote you are contributing to the sport as well as trying to make your wallet a little fatter while you’re at it.
So how does it all work?
In essence, the Tote is a pool betting system. Like the Lotto, all money bet goes into one big pool and then that is divided by the number of winners. They offer a wide variety of bet types from the simple Win and Place to the challenging Jackpot and Pick Six. So whether you select horses because you like the name or because you have studied the form intensely, the Tote has a bet for you!
How do I bet with the Tote?
Betting with the Tote is easy. The Tote provides betting facilities all over the course, including Tote betting counters with Tote tellers, Tote self-vend machines called ‘Bet Jets’ and plenty of hand held staff in the seating and corporate areas, so you will never be too far away from getting your bet on.
When you are ready to place a bet, you need to simply tell the operator the following:
- The race meeting you want to bet on
- The race number
- How much you want to bet
- What type of bet you would like
- What number the horse is
For example: I would like a €10 Win bet on race 2 at Leopardstown on horse number 7 please! It couldn’t be easier.
The Tote Bets introduced
WIN: Simply pick a horse to finish 1st
PLACE: A safer bet, you pick a horse you think will ‘place’ in the race. If there are 5-7 runners in a race you will win if your horse comes 1st or 2nd, with 8-15 runners you’ll win on places from 1st to 3rd and if there are 16 or more runners in the race and it is a Handicap, you’ll win on places from 1st to 4th.
EACH WAY: This popular bet is a Win and a Place bet combined
EXACTA: Pick 2 horses to finish 1st and 2nd
TRIFECTA: Pick 3 horses to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd
PICKSIX: This one is a toughie! Challenging but rewarding, this bet requires you to pick the winning horses in races 1 to 6. The Pick Six is available daily at every race meeting and Tote has announced generous guarantees for the Festival with the Pick 6 set to be a minimum €50,000 pool each day. Sweet.
JACKPOT: This small stake, big win bet involves picking the winning horses of races 3, 4, 5 and 6. The minimum Jackpot at Leopardstown will be €30,000 on Friday and Sunday, as well as €20,000 on Thursday and Saturday.
PLACEPOT: Always a popular bet, the aim here is to pick horses to be placed in the races 1 to 6. This bet has to be placed before the 1st race and is a fun and good value bet. The minimum stake is 10c so that allows for lots of permutations without breaking the bank. The Placepot is guaranteed for €20,000 daily at Leopardstown.
It being Christmas and all, the good folks at Tote have been feeling particularly generous and have teamed up with Topaz Fuels for a joint promotion at this year’s Leopardstown Christmas Festival. One lucky Tote player will start the New Year with the prize of free fuel for 2014.
To be in with a chance to win, punters just have to play the Pick 6, Placepot, Jackpot, Trifecta and Exacta on racing Leopardstown. Tote account customers will be entered into the draw automically and those that are playing at Leopardstown at the ubiquitous Tote outlets just pop their betting slips into the prize draw boxes that are at every Tote counter. Simple, right? And one helluva prize to boot.
There is Tote betting on horseracing in Ireland and also offers Tote betting on UK horseracing. You can bet with the Tote:
• At any of the 26 racecourses in the Republic of Ireland
• On the Internet at www.thetote.com
• By phoning 1850 238 669
To find out more about how to bet with the Tote click here to see the betting guide or visit the Tote website at www.thetote.com
