Horse Racing Tips Today

Horse Racing Tips Today, Scottsville – 19th Feb, 2025

Today’s South African horse racing action is available from KZN, with an eight-race card from the Scottsville Turf track.

Below are our South African horse racing tips and suggested bets for the day’s racing. If you are following our horse racing today tips and placing bets, good luck, and hopefully, it’ll be a winning day for all.

Scottsville Selections (Betting odds are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change).

Race 1 

Tip: VENCEDOR EW @ 5/1

Reason: VENCEDOR has been knocking on the door and should shed his maiden tag soon. With some luck in running, he should finish in the placings.

Race 2 

Tip: LA VIDA LOCA EW @ 4/1

Reason: The filly LA VIDA LOCA has produced some pleasing runs. She meets the right field to shed her maiden tag, and is my banker in the BIPOT and PA.

Race 3 

Tip: FAMOUS WARRIOR EW @ 8/1

Reason: FAMOUS WARRIOR won well last time and takes a jump in class here. Carded to race with 53.5kgs, he carries a low mass and has upset potential.

Race 4 

Tip: BANZAI PIPELINE EW @ 25/1

Reason: The odds are too high on the seven-year-old gelding BANZAI PIPELINE. He has lost his best form, but if he shows any signs of a form return, he should be competitive. A small EW bet won’t hurt the bank balance here.

Race 5 

Tip: PALERMO EW @ 8/1

Reason: PALERMO produced a strong finish last time when finishing third despite an awkward start. He is having his peak run here and represents the EW value at 8/1.

Race 6 

Tip: STARS IN HEAVEN EW @ 4/1

Reason: STARS IN HEAVEN is in terrific form having won back to back races. He meets a similar field and should notch up the hat trick. A banker in most exotics.

Race 7 

Tip: VISION TO ACHIEVE EW @ 5/1

Reason: VISION TO ACHIEVE has been running well and is knocking on the door for her next win. She has not finished too far back from the winners in her recent races, and should fight out the finish.

Race 8 

Tip: LITTLEBLACKGEM EW @ 11/1

Reason: I am taking a chance on the filly LITTLEBLACKGEM in the last. She has fair form and I am willing to look past her last run. If she bounces back here and with some luck in running, she can give our EW bet a proper go. 

Yesterday Horse Racing Results

Please note yesterday’s horse racing meeting at the Vaal was abandoned due to adverse weather.

Vaal Selections

Race 1 

Tip: EMPRESS WU EW @ 4/1

Reason: A work rider’s maiden race to open the card, so please stake cautiously. My tentative selection is EMPRESS WU, who has fair form and should be competitive in this field.

Race 2 

Tip: MISTER WILSON EW @ 4/1 

Reason: MISTER WILSON produced a promising debut run and should come on from that effort. In this field, he is a leading contender and should fight out the finish.

Race 3 

Tip: KALEESH CYBORG EW @ 4/1

Reason: After some promising initial runs, KALEESH CYBORG has produced two moderate runs. I am backing him to bounce back here and return to his previous good form.

Race 4 

Tip: FAST DUTY EW @ 4/1

Reason: FAST DUTY has not finished too far back from the winners. He is a consistent sort, and never seems to run a bad race. I expect another solid showing and a top three finish.

Race 5 

Tip: FULLY LOADED EW @ 6/1

Reason: Despite carrying a top weight of 62.5kgs, I expect a good run from FULLY LOADED. The five-year-old showed a form return last time when beaten by a neck. If he confirms that run, he represents the EW value.

Race 6 

Tip: IDEAL FUTURE EW @ 8/1

Reason: IDEAL FUTURE ran a good race last time against stronger. She gets the appie claim here, and carries a handy mass of 56kgs. On best form she should be competitive and fight out the finish.

Race 7 

Tip: JOKER MAN EW @ 40/1

Reason: A year ago JOKER MAN was one of the best upcoming horses in SA, having won five in a row. However, the gelding has lost his best form, and is struggling at the moment. However, I think he’s too big in the market, and warrants a small EW bet.

Race 8 

Tip: NEERAH EW @ 5/1

Reason: Keeping it simple for the last race on the card and backing NEERAH at 5/1. She wont start at 5/1 come race time, so I love the value here. She is in top form and is chasing a hat trick of wins. I will be shocked if she does not contest the finish.

Understanding Horse Racing Predictions

Factors that influence horse racing predictions

The class of the horse – Understanding the class of a race and the relative ratings of horses within that class is indeed crucial for handicapping and predicting race outcomes. Horses that are competing in a class above their usual level often struggle to perform well against stronger competition. Conversely, horses dropping down in class may have an advantage over their rivals.

Weight of the horse – Weight matters a lot in horse racing. If a horse has too much weight, it can slow them down and make it hard for them to win. But if they have just the right amount, they have a better chance. Sometimes, if a horse has too little weight, it’s like finding a secret advantage.In big races, pay attention to horses that did well last time and now have much less weight than before. That could mean they have a better chance to win this time.

Fitness – Horses that are running regularly are generally fit. The longer a horse has been away from racing, the more uncertain its fitness level becomes.  If a horse has not raced in 21 days or more then there’s a question mark hanging over their readiness to compete.

Track Ability – Certain horses excel on specific types of tracks. Some thrive on small, twisting circuits while others prefer the spacious long stretches of  a track. You can learn a lot from a horse’s track record by looking into their history to see where they’ve performed best. Pay attention to horses that have won at a particular track at least twice. The more wins they have at a track, the more confident you can be in their ability to handle it.

Distance ability – Every horse has a distance they’re best at while some are fast sprinters, others some are good at middle distances (between 1600m and 2000m). There are others that are great at staying power (from 2100m upwards to 3200m). Look closely at each horse’s past performances at the race’s distance. Horses that have won at that distance more than once are more likely to do well.

The Market – Looking at the betting market can give you a good idea of which horses have the best chance to win a race. In about 80% of all races, one of the top four favourites ends up winning. This suggests that if you are backing a horse outside of the top four favourites, you’re entering the less likely range where only about 20% of winners come from. That means you’re going against that 80% statistic, which can be a bit riskier.

Types of Different Bets 

Win bet – A win bet is indeed one of the simplest forms of betting on horse racing. It’s very straightforward, you pick a horse and if it comes first, then your bet wins. It’s often favoured by those looking for a higher payout, as it carries more risk compared to other types of bets like a place bet. The win bet generally has excellent odds unless it is the favourite.

Place Bet – A place bet is a much safer bet than a win bet as your horse can finish in any of the top four positions and you will still receive a payout. The payout on the place bet generally has poor odds as there is a lower risk of losing. 

Exotic single bets – Exotic single race bets allow you to bet on multiple horses in a single race. There are five main types: the exacta, trifecta, superfecta, hi-5, and quinella. Each of these bets involves selecting multiple horses and predicting their finishing positions in various combinations. It’s a bit more complex than straight bets like win or place but it can lead to bigger payouts if you get it right. 

Exacta Bet – With an exacta bet, you’re aiming to predict not just the top two finishers but also their exact order. If you correctly pick which horse comes first and which comes second then your bet is a winner. There are excellent odds on an exacta bet. 

Trifecta Bet – A trifecta bet is like a step up from an exacta.To win this bet you need to correctly predict the horses which will finish first, second, and third in a race and you have to get the order exactly right. It’s a difficult bet to win but the payouts are very rewarding. 

Pick three and six bets – This bet may have different names but they all follow the same principle. Depending on whether it’s the pick three or six bet, you need to correctly predict between three and six first place finishes for three to six consecutive races. The pick six is the holy grail of horse racing bets as the payouts run into thousands of rands. The chances of predicting six winners is a serious longshot therefore the payouts are so big. 

At Topbets, we pride ourselves on offering accurate and reliable betting predictions. Our free Whatsapp channel is designed to provide you with the best tips and insights to help you make informed betting decisions.

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