Secret to picking a winning horse? The colour of a jockey’s jacket.

Forget studying form, women have more chance of winning money on the horses by gambling on the colour of a jockey’s jacket or a nag with a funny name, a study has revealed.

Researchers found more than half of those who placed their bet because of the horse’s name have walked away with cash in their pocket.

And almost one in five who have based their punt on the jockey’s silks have done the same.

It also emerged the tried and tested housewives’ bet often yields a better return than one placed in the wake of studious research.

And, amazingly, five per cent of women said they had enjoyed success purely by picking out the best looking jockey.

A spokesman for horseracing body, Racing for Change, which carried out the study among 2,000 housewives, said: ”This just goes to show that Lady Luck does play an important part when having a flutter on the horses. I’ve been studying form for years but I might have to change my strategy.

”What this study revealed is that you don’t need to be an expert in order to find winners.

”Lucky names or racing colours are just as valid for those who are not in the know. Last year’s 100/1 winner in the John Smiths Grand National was a great example of the experts getting it wrong. Perhaps there’ll be another big priced winner this year.”

The study also found the average recreational female gambler will land a £44 windfall from a £7 bet by placing money on colours or names.

Those who had faith in a trainer or jockey won less, but had to shell out more to do so, it emerged.

And while just under one in four said they tried to work out the horse’s finishing positions in previous races, only one in ten said they put time and effort into looking up the trainer’s recent record.

Nine out of ten women said they never gambled on the same horse and a similar amount said they never opted for the same jockey.

The study was carried out by Racing for Change, the organisation tasked with modernising the sport and broadening its appeal.

WOMEN’S TOP RACING TIPS
1. Funny name / hidden meaning
2. Had a tip
3. Previous performance of the horse
4. Pattern or colour of the jockey’s silks
5. Choose randomly
6. Whether it’s favourite to win or has good odds
7. Trainer’s reputation
8. Colour of the horse
9. Name of the jockey and/or how good looking he is
10. Where the horse or jockey is from