Horse Racing Staking Guide: How to Follow The Gallop

Every tip comes with a stake in points, from half a point up to 5 points. 3 points is the most common stake; bigger stakes go on the bets we like most. You choose what a point is worth (say £2, £5 or £10) and keep it the same for every bet.

Each-way stakes are per part: 2pts e/w means 2 points to win and 2 points to place, 4 points in all. Doubles and trebles, when we give them, are small stakes, usually a quarter of a point to a point per line.

Level stakes means the same stake on every bet. It's the simplest way to bet and the fairest way to compare tipsters, because a record at level stakes can't be flattered by putting more on the winners.

We stake in points instead, from half a point to 5 points, so the bets we like most carry more. A worked example: with £1,000 as a 200-point bank, a point is £5. A 3-point win bet is £15. A 2-point each-way bet is £10 to win and £10 to place, £20 in all.

If you'd rather bet level stakes, put the same amount on every tip. Your profit or loss will differ from our record, which is settled at the stakes we advise. Our results page shows every bet and its stake, so you can check either way.

Following the stakes as given is how your results will track our record. Betting bigger after a loss, or cutting back after a bad run, is how followers end up with a different result from the one on the results page.

Racing has long losing runs as well as good ones. Judge any tipster, us included, over hundreds of bets, not a week.

We suggest a betting bank of 200 points. The deepest drop in our record so far, between March and May 2026, was about 100 points from a high point. A 200-point bank lets you ride out a run like that without changing your stakes. With £1,000 set aside, that's £5 a point.

Rules:

• Never chase losses by betting bigger
• Only raise your point value after a sustained profit, never in the middle of a run
• Keep your betting bank separate from everyday money
• Only bet what you can afford to lose

Prices can move after a tip is posted, so take the advised price where you can. Our record settles each bet at the advised price or the starting price, whichever is bigger, as a bookmaker offering Best Odds Guaranteed would pay.

If you take a smaller price, or your bookmaker doesn't offer best odds, your returns will be lower than the record shows.

Betting should be entertainment, paid for with money you can afford to lose. It is never a way to make a living or to solve money worries.

If you find yourself chasing losses or betting beyond your means, stop and talk to someone.

• GambleAware.org: free support
• GAMSTOP: self-exclude from online gambling in Great Britain
• National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133

Members can email hello@thegallop.uk with any question about staking or sizing a bank.