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Scone racing tips & predictions 24 Feb – Can Bell keep rolling?
Scone Racing Tips & Predictions 24 Feb 2026 – Can Mitchell Bell keep rolling at Scone?
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Scone doesn’t throw up many genuine “course horses” on this card — the numbers make that clear. What it does offer today is a set of races where rider intent matters: Mitchell Bell turns up with a compact book and his recent Scone record is strong enough to treat as signal, not noise (6 rides for 3 wins, 4 placings). That’s the sharpest edge available before we even get to the form lines.
We’ve got five races on turf, with the official going not published in the data provided. That pushes us away from ground-based assumptions and toward repeatable levers: stable patterns, barriers, race-shape, and which runners are trending forward on recent figures and finishing positions. Below you’ll get race-by-race Scone racing tips, plus the few course and connection stats that actually clear a sensible sample threshold.
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Meeting: Scone (Course ID: 89) | Date: 24/02/2026 | Surface: Turf | Races: 5
Course Overview
Going & Conditions
The meeting runs on turf and the provided race data doesn’t include an official going description today. With no verified going, we’ve weighted recent form trajectory, map/pace, and proven class levels ahead of ground assumptions.
Course Specialists Running Today
Scone is a low-frequency venue for most of this field: almost all runners with course history have only one previous start here. Rather than inflating tiny samples into “strike rates”, the analysis below leans on current prep stats, race shape and the few rider/trainer records that have enough volume to matter.
Jockeys To Note
| Entity | Runs | Wins | Places | Win % | Place % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Bell | 6 | 3 | 4 | 50.00% | 66.67% |
| A Bullock | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% | 25.00% |
Race-by-Race Analysis
Race 1: Muswellbrook Ford Mdn Plate (13:35, 1094m)
This is a short-course maiden where the early split matters: 1094m at Scone often rewards the runner that can hold a spot and build from the bend rather than chasing wide. The key question is whether the lightly-raced types can outsprint the more exposed maidens who keep landing in the first half without finishing the job.
Top Selection: Perfect Force
Perfect Force brings the cleanest profile in the race on exposed evidence: two starts for two seconds (form: 22). That’s the sort of reliability you want in a maiden at this trip, because it usually means the horse travels and sustains speed instead of flashing for 100m late.
Supporting Analysis
Course records show Perfect Force has placed on its only Scone run (2nd), which is a useful comfort point without pretending it’s a long-term pattern. From barrier 2 it should land closer than most, and in these 1100-ish maidens, saving ground early often decides who gets first crack at the leaders.
Key Danger: Bundoran
Bundoran’s form line reads like a horse that keeps getting to the right spot: 23225- and draws gate 1. If the speed eases mid-race, the inside runner with a turn of foot becomes very hard to run down.
Verdict
I’ll back Perfect Force to finally convert the consistency into a win, with Bundoran the obvious saver/quinella partner thanks to the map. If the race turns into a sit-and-sprint, the inside draw becomes a bigger edge than raw “talent” — so watch for intent in the first 200m.
Race 2: Kia Ora Country Boosted Mdn Hcp (14:10, 1312m)
The handicap conditions over 1312m put a premium on who can absorb pressure mid-race. It’s a race where one runner improving off limited exposed form can jump past older maidens that have settled into a level.
Top Selection: Eagleturn
Eagleturn looks the most trustworthy on what we can measure: the form line 23-4 says the horse has already found the frame and stayed competitive. Gate 1 also gives the jockey the option to hold a spot without spending petrol — a big deal at this “in-between” trip where wide runners can cover extra ground for no reward.
Supporting Analysis
This isn’t a “course angle” play — Eagleturn doesn’t come with meaningful Scone sample size — it’s a race-shape and reliability play. If the leaders overcook it, Eagleturn can peel off the fence and get last crack; if they don’t, it can stay in the first three and still kick.
Key Danger: Morpeth
Morpeth’s form 73 is light but it suggests early competitiveness. With MS M Weir engaged, it only needs to take a small step forward to feature late, particularly if the tempo is even and the race becomes a sustained 600m sprint.
Verdict
Eagleturn gets the nod because it maps to run a cleaner race than most of its key rivals. Morpeth is the danger on upside. If the market offers overs on Eagleturn purely because it’s not “flashy”, that’s the bet angle — this profile wins a lot of country maidens.
Race 3: Tab Mdn Plate (14:45, 1531m)
This maiden over 1531m brings stamina and settling patterns into play. Horses that can relax in the first half and then quicken off an even speed typically dominate; the ones that over-race or get posted wide can be found out late.
Top Selection: Dunquin
Dunquin is the type I like to back second-up in this grade: the form shows one start for a 3rd, which often points to a horse that already handles race-day pressure and can take improvement naturally. From gate 7 the rider has to make good decisions early, but the upside is still clearer than most of the exposed “always thereabouts” maidens.
Supporting Analysis
This race also brings a stable with multiple bullets (Nathan Doyle fields more than one across the day), and that matters when you’re assessing intent in a maiden where many are still learning. If they run this genuinely, Dunquin’s ability to finish off a race becomes the separator.
Key Danger: Pappa Blue
Pappa Blue brings a more established line: 0-2 suggests the horse can bounce off that improvement run. Drawn gate 1, it can control the terms of the race if it settles and holds the rail.
Verdict
Dunquin on top for improvement and late strength, Pappa Blue the danger for the map and second-up progression. I’m happy to play win/quinella rather than trying to be too clever in a race where several runners can jump forward sharply.
Race 4: Scone Rsl Country Boosted (Bm58) (15:25, 1750m)
BM58 over 1750m usually comes down to who controls the middle stages. There’s enough depth here that you want a runner either arriving in form or set up by the handicap to settle close and keep building.
Top Selection: Are You Kidding
Are You Kidding arrives with the strongest recent performance block on the card. Over the last 90 days the horse has gone 1 win from 3 runs and placed in all three (33.33% win rate; 100% place rate), with an average finishing position of 2.0. That’s exactly what you want in a BM58: it says the horse holds form and keeps finding the line.
Supporting Analysis
Course records show Are You Kidding has placed on its only Scone start (3rd). That’s not a “Scone horse” label — it’s simply confirmation it handles the track. With barrier 3, it can avoid a messy run in a race where several rivals (including wider gates) risk covering extra ground.
Key Danger: Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate comes off a win in the form string (68-471) and that last-start confidence often translates when the horse lands in a similar grade. The query is the gate (10) and whether it gets dragged into a wide mid-race move.
Verdict
Are You Kidding is the day’s most defensible on numbers: current prep consistency and a map that should keep it out of trouble. Damascus Gate is the danger on last-start winning momentum. If you want a staking plan, I’d anchor Are You Kidding in multis and use Damascus Gate as the saver in exotics rather than spreading too wide.
Race 5: Newgate Hcp (C1) (16:05, 1531m)
The Class 1 at 1531m is the tactical race of the day. Several runners bring “one good run, one flat run” patterns, so the market can overreact. This is where you lean on connection strength when the horse profile already stacks up.
Top Selection: Bellarata
Bellarata is the one I want on top because the jockey/trainer pairing brings repeatable edge. Zac Wadick and G Waterhouse & A Bott combine at 21.43% wins and 42.86% placings from 14 rides in the last 90 days, with three wins in that span. That’s a big enough sample to matter, and it often shows up in races like this where stable intent and ride aggression win more than “pretty” sectionals.
Supporting Analysis
Recent form also supports the case: over the last 90 days Bellarata has 1 win from 4 runs (25%) and 2 placings (50%). That’s not flawless, but it’s viable C1 form, and the stable/jockey combo tends to improve a horse’s chance of getting the right run at the right time.
Key Danger: Smart Lily
Smart Lily has a handy Scone touchpoint — placed on its only run here (2nd) — and the overall form line 342-42 points to a horse that keeps showing up. If the favourite underperforms, Smart Lily looks the most likely to take advantage.
Verdict
Bellarata is the play because the Wadick/Waterhouse-Bott combination has delivered often enough lately to trust, and the horse’s current prep says it belongs. Smart Lily is the danger on reliability and a clean “always in the finish” profile. If you’re shopping for value, consider backing Bellarata win and saving Smart Lily for the place/quinella.
Summary & Best Bets
This Scone card doesn’t hand out easy “track pattern” bets because the course-history samples are thin for most runners. The practical edge comes from two places: current prep consistency and the few connection stats with real volume.
NAP: Are You Kidding in the 15:25 (Bm58) — 3 runs this prep for 1 win and 3 placings, and it draws to get the right run without needing luck.
Best Value: Bellarata in the 16:05 (C1) — the Wadick/Waterhouse & Bott pairing strikes at 21.43% (3 wins from 14) in the last 90 days, and markets often underprice that “intent” factor in country class.
Banker: Perfect Force (13:35) — two seconds from two starts is the safest base profile in the maidens if it holds its spot from gate 2.
Each-Way Angle: Smart Lily (16:05) — form reads like a horse that keeps landing in the money (342-42) and it ran 2nd on its only Scone visit.
Course Angle to Follow: Mitchell Bell at Scone — 3 wins from 6 rides on today’s course data, and he teams with a debutant in Race 2 (Butch) where tactical positioning matters.
Kicker: Scone rewards riders who make early, decisive map calls — and today the jockey table says Bell is the one punters should keep paying for.
FAQ
What time does racing start at Scone today?
Racing starts at 13:35 with the Muswellbrook Ford Mdn Plate over 1094m.
What is the going at Scone today?
The race data provided lists the meeting as turf but doesn’t publish an official going description for today’s card. With no going noted, the tips above lean on form and map rather than guessing ground preference.
Who are the top trainers at Scone?
From the course records supplied for today’s runners, the strongest “usable” trainer signal is limited by small samples. The standout volume stat on the page is actually a jockey: Mitchell Bell has 3 wins from 6 rides at Scone on today’s course dataset. Among bigger stables, G Waterhouse & A Bott and Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald both show wins at Scone in the dataset, but off 3 runs and 2 runs respectively — informative, not definitive.
What are the best bets at Scone today?
The best bets at Scone today are Are You Kidding (15:25) as the NAP off a 3-from-3 placing record this prep, and Bellarata (16:05) for the Wadick/Waterhouse & Bott combo striking at 21.43% from 14 rides in the last 90 days.
Where can I find the best odds for Scone races?
The live odds feed wasn’t available for this meeting in the data returned today, so the cleanest approach is to compare prices directly across your main books close to jump time and prioritise runners with strong repeatable signals: Are You Kidding (current prep consistency) and Bellarata (jockey/trainer partnership volume).
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