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Horse racing is an exciting as well as eventful sport and betting is always part of every race. More and more punters are placing their horse racing bets online before and while being at the races. For your convenience we have listed our top picks for horse racing betting online in South Africa.
South Africa has a long horse racing history. The first official race dates back as far as 1797 when South Africa was under British rule. It is a multi-million Rand industry that brings together people from all walks of life.
As a result of the competitive nature of the sport, it comes as no surprise that it is one of the most popular sport betting markets around. Many bookmakers offer you a variety of betting opportunities as well as quality in-play betting. Make a safe bet with our recommended horse racing betting sites.
How horse racing betting works
Understanding Horse Racing Betting can be a daunting task but once you understand the different bets and what each of them mean, it is very simple – and exciting! Here are some of the more popular bets available for Horse Racing:
- Win Bet: Bet on a horse to finish first
- Place Bet: Bet on a horse to finish first or second
- Show Bet: Bet on a horse to finish in the money and hence third or better
- Morning Line: The odds that the track handicapper predicts a horse will go off at.
- Daily Double (or Double): Type of bet calling for the selection of winners of two consecutive races.
- Pick 3: A multi-race bet where the punter picks the winner of 3 separate races. Races are either consecutive or in some instances the bet can be won on 3 rolling races.
- Exacta: A wager in which the first two finishers in a race, in exact order of finish, must be picked.
- Quinella: Bet in which the first two finishers must be picked in either order.
- Trifecta: A bet in which the first three finishers must be selected in exact order.
- Superfecta: Placing a bet with you picking the first 4 finishers of a race in the exact order. That is to say, this is no easy feat.
Latest Horse Racing News
Horse Racing Bets and Odds
What is the best way to explain horse racing odds you ask? Simply put, odds are the mathematical illustration of the likelihood a horse is to win or place in a race.
There are 2 ways in which odds are shown to punters, namely the traditional fractional system and the newer decimal system. Fractional odds are displayed as 4/1 whereas decimal odds are shown as 5.0.
For example, if you bet on a horse with odds of 4/1 (decimal would be 5.00), it means the horse has a 20% chance of winning the race. Thus, for every R1 you bet, you could potentially win R4.
To put this also more in perspective. If we take a race with 15 horses in, those odds sound promising. But we need to also consider that it also means the horse has an 80% chance of losing.
Overall, always look for value in the bets you place. If the odds look to good to be believe, they probably are. Don’t bet more than you can afford and keep it fun.
Top Horse Racing Events
Overall, there is no shortage of horse racing events in South Africa and worldwide. Moreover, all offer exciting opportunities for horse racing betting online.
- Durban July, running since 1897, South Africa’s primary horse racing event held in Durban. The 2024 Durban July is on 6 July 2024 and many promotions are waiting from various betting sites such as betcoza.
- The Sun Met, also known as South Africa’s richest race takes place each year at the Kenilworth race course in Cape Town.
- The Gauteng Summer Cup held at the historic Turffontein racecourse in Johannesburg and hence one of the province’s premier sporting events.
- Breeders’ Cup Classic, also known to be America’s premier horse race for thoroughbred horses.
- Kentucky Derby held annually in Kentucky. It is most certainly one of the most well-known races on the America racing calendar.
- Belmont Stakes, run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
- Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most famous race. The race takes place at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria.
- The Grand National is a steeplechase race that occurs annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool in England. The race consists of 30 jumps.
- Paris Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is held at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and is also known to be the most elite race in Europe.
- Japan Cup is an invitational event that takes place annually at the Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. Also considered one of Japan’s most prestigious races.
Live Betting & In-Play
Horse racing betting online comes with the advantage of In-Play Betting. It allows you to then place bets after events have started. Best of all you can also change your mind as often as you like! Moreover, follow all Horse Racing via Live Betting or In-Play Betting through our recommended bookies.
Virtual horse racing
Simulated horse racing games have seen a rise over the recent months. In short, virtual races are computer-generated, simulated races which play every few minutes. Due to top notch graphics they come very close to real races. There are quite a few similarities between betting on classic horse racing and virtual horse racing but also quite distinctive differences that you should keep in mind. Compared to real-life races the virtual races are numbers games. A random number generator hence determines the outcome of a race. Therefore, as the games are completely random, any research or looking at statistics of the competing horses is irrelevant. Each horse has a certain chance of winning which is then reflected in the offered odds.
Aside from virtual horse racing you can also bet on virtual soccer, greyhound racing or motorsports. Read more about virtuals in our dedicated virtual games category where you also find reviews about the best virtual games available.
Have fun betting on the horses. Our top betting sites for horse racing betting are currently Betway, Betcoza as well as HollywoodBets.
