Every bookmaker knows the feeling. Most weekends are a grind. Some are painful. A very small handful remind you why you keep turning up.
For Ponybet, the first four days of 2026 fell firmly into the latter category. An uncommonly favourable run of results aligned just often enough to give the startup bookmaker something it doesn’t take for granted: breathing room.
“Every now and then the stars align,” said Ponybet CEO Jason Scott. “And that’s exactly what happened for us across the first four days of the year.”
That doesn’t mean it was spotless. It never is. But in a world where one result can wipe out a day’s work, Ponybet managed to absorb a few solid customer wins without losing control of the ledger.
Friday Night: The right bet, even if the game goes wrong
The first test came via basketball on Friday night, where one sharp customer identified the right angle rather than the obvious one.
A $30,000 bet at $1.95 landed on the Sydney Kings to win the first quarter against the Adelaide 36ers. The Kings led by seven at quarter time, ticking the box early, before going on to lose the match by six.
“The customer absolutely nailed the bet type,” Scott said. “The game result didn’t matter – he got what he wanted.”
Late Friday night brought a more familiar frustration.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we’re the worst snooker bookmakers in the world,” Scott joked.
That reputation was reinforced after 10pm, when Ponybet wrote a $35,000 bet at $1.85 on Jackson Page to defeat Pang Junxu. It saluted.
Saturday Racing: Pressure early, relief late
Saturday began strongly for the book, with Bjorn Baker’s first starter Profitable dominating betting in the opener at Randwick.
“It was the only horse anyone wanted to back,” Scott said. “Over 80 per cent of the money, and a stack of mid-sized bets. Thankfully, it went our way.”
Brisbane, however, was a different story.
Warwoven proved a major headache, anchoring multis across the day after firming into $1.45 following early black odds earlier in the week.
“I suspect he’ll now start odds-on in the Magic Millions two-year-old Classic,” Scott said. “There were very few deductions and he was in everything.”
Ninja added further pressure, holding more than 70 per cent of the money in race seven.
The ledger didn’t really breathe until the final event.
“We had to wait until the last to get it back,” Scott said.
That race revolved around Altermatum, which became the weekend’s biggest liability. Ponybet wrote $10,000 at $2.45 and a string of four-figure bets as the price tightened to $2.10. When the favourite went down and Hell won convincingly, the swing was immediate.
“It turned the whole day,” Scott said. “A very nice result.”
Saturday still had one more sting in the tail for the book, with a $10,000 bet at $3.60 landing on Pixiebelle in the final race at Newcastle Harness, giving one customer a tidy finish to the night.
Sunday: Quiet by design
Compared to the chaos of Friday and Saturday, Sunday barely rated a mention.
“Not much of interest to report,” Scott said. And in bookmaking terms, that’s often the best outcome you can ask for.
Ponybet’s offer to a social media star
Away from the markets, Ponybet also found time to have a little fun on social media, publicly offering to “take the bets” of punting influencer Benny Scarf after reports he’d been cut back by the TAB.
It’s unaustralian to run scared. Bet like you bloody mean it.. we’ll keep pace!
— PonyBet (@getponybet) January 4, 2026
If Benny Scarf is looking for a new home for his bets it seems he may have an open door through Ponybet.
And, judging by the initial social media response, it might be ‘game on’. Get the popcorn ready.
Keen, but don’t run scared once I dust you for $150K this year x https://t.co/DVqTI8ut29
— Benny Scarf (@BennyScarf) January 4, 2026
When results fall your way, liabilities are managed, and confidence is flowing, even the banter lands better.
For Ponybet, the ledger turned early in 2026. They know it won’t always look this friendly – but for now, they’ll happily take the green.
