What Does "Keep Safe" Mean in Horse Racing?

We get this question a lot from punters who are new to reading racing tips and previews so we thought we would explain it here on GoBet.

You know when you are reading through someone’s tips for a Saturday meeting and they have their best bet, their next best, and then underneath they mention a horse and say “keep safe”?

What they are saying is do not sleep on this one – or it could be a sneaky chance.

The horse is probably not their number one pick for the race but they reckon it is a genuine chance at the odds and they do not want you to ignore it.

A tipster might flag a horse as a keep safe for a few different reasons. It could be that the horse has a strong record on the track or distance and is getting into the race at a bigger price than it probably should be.

It could be that a good jockey has been booked which usually means the connections are quietly confident. Or maybe the horse has been showing improved form at its last couple of starts and the tipster thinks it is ready to put in a big run before the rest of the market catches on.

Think of it as a tip within a tip.

The tipster is not necessarily saying go and put your house on it but they are saying this horse deserves a spot on your ticket.

Maybe that means an each way bet at the odds or throwing it into a multi or a trifecta. The whole point of a keep safe is that the horse represents value because it is not getting the attention it probably deserves from the wider market.

So next time you are going through the GoBet horse racing tips and you see a horse flagged as one to “keep safe”, have a closer look at it. There is usually a good reason it has been singled out and at the right price it could be the best bet on the card.

Editor In Chief

Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.