We’ve taken a look at all the various horse racing bets you can place with the nation’s leading bookmakers.

If you’re new to the betting jungle and you don’t know your trebles from your trixies, take a look at our beginners guide and find out everything you need to know about placing a bet on the horses.

Read more: Latest Horse Racing Tips and Best Bets

Read on below for a complete horse racing betting guide.

Horse Racing Betting Guide

Single

1 bet on 1 selection in one event.

Double

1 bet involving 2 selections in different events. Both must be successful to get a return.

Treble

1 bet involving 3 selections in different events. All must be successful to get a return.

Accumulator

1 bet involving any number of selections from 4 upwards in different events. All must be successful to get a return.

Trixie

4 bets involving 3 selections in different events. The bet includes 3 doubles and 1 treble. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Patent

7 bets involving 3 selections in different events. The bet includes a single on each selection, plus 3 doubles and 1 treble. Just one successful selection guarantees a return.

Yankee

11 bets involving 4 selections in different events. The bet includes 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Lucky 15

15 bets involving 4 selections in different events. The bet includes 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 fourfold. If only one selection wins, as a consolation returns are paid to double the odds. If all four selections win, a bonus of 10% is added to total returns. For the bonus to apply, all selections must win (no void or non-runners). For each-way bets the consolation is paid only on the win part of the bet. Lucky 15 bets are accepted on horse racing and greyhounds only.

Canadian (also known as a Super Yankee)

26 bets involving 5 selections in different events. The bet includes 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds plus an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Heinz

57 bets involving 6 selections in different events. The bet includes 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfolds, 6 fivefolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Lucky 63

63 bets involving 6 selections in different events. The bet includes 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfolds, 6 fivefolds and an accumulator. If only one selection wins, returns are paid to double the odds. If all six selections win, a bonus of 20% is added to total returns. For the bonus to apply, all selections must win (no void or non-runners). For each-way bets the consolation is paid only on the win part of the bet. Lucky 63 bets are accepted on horse racing and greyhounds only.

Super Heinz

120 bets involving 7 selections in different events. The bet includes 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 fourfolds, 21 fivefolds, 7 sixfolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Goliath

247 bets involving 8 selections in different events. The bet includes 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 fourfolds, 56 fivefolds, 28 sixfolds, 8 sevenfolds and an accumulator. A minimum of 2 of your selections must be successful to get a return.

Forecasts

A forecast bet is one where you predict the first and second in a horse or greyhound race.

Straight Forecast

2 selections in 1 race finishing 1st and 2nd in the order named. A Straight Forecast (FC) dividend is declared based on the Starting Prices (SP’s) of all the horses in the race. (A Straight Forecast is known in many countries as an Exacta).

Reversed Forecast

2 selections in 1 race finishing 1st and 2nd in either order. As such it is two straight forecasts.

Straight Forecast Doubles

SFC doubles are staked in exactly the same way as ordinary doubles. The only difference is that you take 2 selections per race. Both SFC predictions must be successful for there to be any return.

Straight Forecast Trebles

SFC trebles are staked in exactly the same way as ordinary trebles. The only difference is that you take 2 selections per race. All three SFC predictions must be successful for there to be any return.

Combination Forecasts

This bet involves 3 or more selections in a race, with any 2 to finish 1st and 2nd in any order. For example, a £5 combination forecast (or CFC) equates to a total stake of £30 That’s 6 x £5 forecasts. The easiest way to calculate the number of bets in a CFC is to multiply the number of selections by the preceding number. So, for 3 selections, 3 x 2 = 6. If you picked 5 selections in a race, you would have 20 combination forecast bets (5 x 4 = 20).

Combination Forecast Doubles and Trebles

Combination Forecast (CFC) doubles give you a better chance of getting a winning Forecast Double or Forecast Treble because you choose more than 2 selections in each race. To win you must have included the first two finishers in 2 races for doubles or 3 races for trebles.

Combination Forecast Doubles and Trebles

Combination Forecast (CFC) doubles give you a better chance of getting a winning Forecast Double or Forecast Treble because you choose more than 2 selections in each race. To win you must have included the first two finishers in 2 races for doubles or 3 races for trebles.

Tricasts

Tricasts are only accepted on horse racing handicaps with 6 or more runners:

Straight Tricasts

This bet involves 3 selections in a race finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the order named. (The closest equivalent to a Tricast in many countries is a Trifecta or a Tierce).

Combination Tricasts

This bet involves 3 or more selections in a race finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in any order. To calculate the number of bets in a Combination Tricast multiply the number of selections by the preceding number. For example, a £10 Combination Tricast (CTC) with four selections would cost £240. That’s 4 x 3 x 2 = 24 bets.

Why should I bet on horse racing?

There are several reasons why people enjoy a bet on a particular race. They might be attending a meeting and there’s nothing like boosting your excitement levels by having a runner in contention as the race approaches its climax.

Similarly, with so many race meetings televised and being live streamed by the bookmakers, there’s nearly always a chance to watch your horse in action when you place a bet on any day of the week, with several operators now having a Bet and Watch service where a race can be enjoyed from start to finish.

Many people bet on horse racing because they’re passionate about the sport and sometimes an advanced knowledge helps customers make a regular profit when it comes to placing wagers.

In order to make a profit on horse racing, it is generally advised to have a staking plan and bet on selected races rather than through the card, backing your strongest opinions unless you are simply looking for some entertainment from a particular wager.

What are the different types of Horse Racing bet?

There are several different betting options available when it comes to horse racing and here are just a handful of options:

1. Win – pick a horse in any race and back it to win
2. Each-Way – back your selection to win and place (you win on both bets if it wins)
3. Double – pick a horse in two different races and boost the odds
4. Treble – the same as a double but three horses this time
5. Accumulator – a multiple bet that involves four or more horses
6. Placepot – pick a horse to place in the first six races of a meeting
7. Lucky 15 – pick a horse in four different races and combine them in doubles, trebles and an accumulator as well as singles

Make sure you get Best Odds Guaranteed

Several bookmakers now offer Best Odds Guaranteed when it comes to betting on the sport of horse racing. Quite simply, if your bookie doesn’t have this offer available, you are missing out on potential profit every time you back a winner.

By claiming Best Odds Guaranteed on a race, you can take a price about a particular runner knowing that you will be paid out at SP should the latter be available at bigger odds. For example, you might take 8/1 about a runner and then see the horse drift out to 10/1 at the off. If the selection wins, you will be paid out at 10/1 rather than 8/1.

Read more: Horse Racing Calendar

Shop around for the best bookmaker offers

Best Odds Guaranteed is just one of several horse racing offers available across the bookmaker websites and it’s worth hunting around to see what other promotions are available, especially for the big meetings.

For a meeting such as the Cheltenham Festival or Royal Ascot, the bookies are in fierce competition with each other and this often means you can enjoy some generous price boosts such as even money about Sprinter Sacre winning the 2013 Champion Chase with Coral despite it generally being a 1/4 chance.

Similarly, Paddy Power might offer to refund losing bets on a race like the Champion Hurdle if a particular horse wins and it makes it a no-brainer to ensure you have an account with this bookmaker so you can count on a great form of insurance should your horse fail to win.

Some bookmakers will offer a particular bonus on a particular race and you should be aware that bets such as Lucky 15 will pay out at double odds if you pick one winner out of the four selections. This means that if you pick four horses at odds of 8/1, you only need one to win in order to claim a profit.

There are many betting sites available online, but not all of them are created equal. Our team has spent countless hours evaluating different Australian sports betting sites in order to create a comprehensive list of the best online horse racing betting sites. Our guide to the best horse racing betting sites has all the information you need to find the perfect bookmaker for your bets.

 

Watch where the money is going for each race

By all means, back your own judgement when it comes to horse racing, although the market often talks and it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for the daily movers. A horse might open at 20/1 on the morning of a race before the bookmakers shorten the odds to 14/1 or shorter, suggesting there is a substantial amount of confidence behind the runner.

Such ‘gambles’ don’t always pay off, although a bookmaker shortening the odds when it comes to any sport is a classic indication that they are worried about certain liabilities, while betting exchanges are also a useful barometer when it comes to assessing horse that have been backed and also runners that are drifting.

Gambling Awareness

We are committed to responsible gambling and have a number of ways to help you stay in control and keep gambling fun. You must be 18 years old or over to gamble on this site. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org.