How to bet on Horse Racing Online with Betfred

Horse racing offers countless betting opportunities, from local events Like the Durban July, the Cape Guineas, and the Summer Cup; to international races in, the UK like the Royal Ascot and Grand National, as well as racing from Hong Kong, Australia and the USA. At Betfred, we provide a wide variety of horse racing bets, ensuring there’s something for every punter. Here is some insight for you, our valued punter, to explore the different betting markers, bet types, tote options and strategies to make the most of your next race day.

The minimum bet on Betfred South Africa's website is R6, with the betting unit set at R1. Betfred offers a range of Totalisator bet types to enhance your experience, each designed to offer varying excitement levels and potential rewards.

Win Bet: The Simple Option

The Win Bet is the most popular and straightforward bet in Horse Racing. Choose a horse to finish in first place, and if your selection wins, you get a payout based on the odds. It's the perfect choice for beginners and seasoned punters alike.

Place Bet: More Opportunities to Win

If you’re not that confident of your selection, you can take a Place Bet. The Place Bet gives you more chances to win, as it allows you to bet on a horse to finish in the top positions 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, depending on the number of horses or

• 3 or less carded runners -> No Places
• 4 to 6 carded runners  -> 2 Places
• 7 to 13 carded runners -> 3 Places
• 14 & more carded runners -> 4 Places

With fewer risks than a Win Bet, the Place Bet is ideal for those who want to spread their chances across multiple outcomes. On special days Betfred South Africa offers an Extra Place, which pays out if your selection finishes 4th outside of the podium places.

Each-Way Bet: Two Chances to Win

An Each-Way Bet combines a Win and a Place bet on the same horse. If your horse wins, you get both the Win and Place dividends. If your horse finishes second or third, you still win the Place dividend. This bet is great for punters who want to hedge their risk.

Exacta: Predicting the First Two Finishers

The Exacta bet requires you to select the horses that finish first and second, in order. It can be challenging but offers high payouts. You can also opt for a Box Exacta also known as Quinella, which requires you to select the horses that finish first and second, in any order. Giving you a wider range of winning combinations.

Trifecta: Predicting the Top Three

A Trifecta requires you to select the horses that finish first, second and third, in the correct order. With its higher difficulty, the Trifecta offers substantial rewards. For more flexibility, you can place a Box Trifecta or a Multiple Trifecta, which allows you to pick multiple horses for each position, increasing your chances.

Given its difficulty, the Trifecta offers substantial payouts, especially in competitive races where the outcome is harder to predict.

While the Box Trifecta gives you more combinations and a better chance of winning, it also increases the cost of the bet, as each combination is considered a separate wager. It's a great option for punters looking for more flexibility and a higher probability of success, even if it comes at a higher price.

The Multiple Trifecta is ideal for more experienced punters looking to maximize their chances without losing sight of their strongest selections.

Quartet: Picking the Top Four Finishers

A Quartet bet requires you to predict the horses that finish first, second, third and fourth in the exact order. For more flexibility, you can place a Box Quartet or a Multiple Quartet, giving you more options and a better chance of winning.

Swinger: Two Horses from Three

A great bet! The Swinger bet lets you pick two horses to finish in the top three, in any order. You win if the 2 horses chosen fill 2 of the first 3 places. There are 3 winning combinations 1st & 2nd (or 2nd & 1st); 1st& 3rd (or 3rd & 1st); 2nd & 3rd (or 3rd & 2nd). There is No payout for 3rd & 3rd or if there is a “dead heat” for 3^rd place. It's an appealing low-risk option with the potential for a solid return, and the Box Swinger increases your chances by selecting more horses.

Double: Picking Winners in Consecutive Races

The Double bet lets you pick the winners in two consecutive races. You can place rolling doubles, where each race is linked to the next. The Double Bet offers a straightforward yet exciting way to enhance your chances of winning by combining two races into one wager.

Pick 3: Predicting Winners Across Three Races

The Pick 3 bet requires you to pick the winners in three consecutive races. Similar to the Double, you can also choose multiple horses per race, increasing your chances of success.

Pick 6 Bet: A Challenge Across Six Races

The exhilarating Pick 6 is similar to the Jackpot, but you need to find the winners of the six races or legs of the Pick 6 in order to win Big. Your selection should usually covering Races 3-8 on an eight-race card or Races 4-9 on a nine-race card. This is one of the most challenging bets in horse racing due to the difficulty of predicting the winners across so many races.

All To Come: Betting Across Multiple Races

The All To Come bet lets you place wagers on multiple races, where your winnings from each race roll over to the next. It’s a high-reward, high-risk bet, perfect for those looking for big payouts.

Place Accumulator: Your Path to Betting Across the Card

This bet spans seven races, requiring you to select at least one of the top three finishers in each. It offers higher payouts as more legs are completed. It is a great bet involving selecting horses to run 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the seven consecutive Place Accumulator races.

Bi-Pot: Mastering the Bi-Pot

This bet is similar to a Place Accumulator but it spans six legs, where you need to select a horse to finish first or second in each of the six races. Fractional betting offers flexibility and increases the excitement.

Jackpot: High-Stakes Wagers Across Multiple Races

The Jackpot is an exciting bet where you are required Predict the winners of four consecutive races. The Jackpot offers large payouts, especially when outsiders win.

Scratchings

This term is used for a horse that is withdrawn from a race with the following rules that apply:-
Win, Place, Exacta, Swinger, Trifecta and Quartet – Full refund on scratched horse.
Double – First leg scratching or second leg scratching prior to the running of the first leg – full refund on scratched horse. Second leg scratching after running of first leg – replaced with Totalisator favourite.

Place Accumulator, Pick 6, Pick 3, Bi-Pot and Jackpot – Scratched horse is automatically replaced with the Totalisator favourite.

All to Come – If a selected race is abandoned or a selected runner/s scratched, then the All to Come Bet continues as if that leg had not been selected. Any investment shall be carried forward to the next leg if any remain.

Taking a bet, is incredibly exciting. If you have studied the form to make your winning selection, then you’ve proved that your win was based on intelligence. If your winning selection was based on a dream or a name that you liked, then you’ve proved that luck does play a significant part. No matter how you win it’s fun making the selection and it’s incredibly exciting shouting your horse home.

Ready to Place Your Bet? The Excitement Awaits!

With so many exciting betting options at your fingertips, there's never been a better time to dive into the world of horse racing at Betfred. Whether you're choosing the simplicity of a Win Bet, the flexibility of a Place Bet, or the challenge and potential of the Pick 6, every race offers fresh opportunities to win big. Whether you prefer simple, low-risk bets or the thrill of high-stakes wagers, there’s something for everyone. Take your horse racing betting to the next level with Place Accumulators, Jackpots, and All To Come bets for even bigger rewards!

So, what are you waiting for? “Come and Have a Go” Place your bets today at Betfred, the next big rewards could be just around the corner!