In the world of horse racing betting, there are few things more frustrating than the dreaded non-runner. All that time and effort spent weighing up the trends, studying the form or picking a name out of a hat – only for you to not even get a run for your money.
But what exactly happens to our bet when this unfortunate scenario unfolds? With single bets – either win or each way – it is all relatively straightforward; if your horse doesn’t run for whatever reason, the bet will be void, and your stake refunded. The only exception is ante-post bets, where all non-runners are settled as losers, which is the price you pay for potentially obtaining an attractive price in advance of the race.
With multiple bets – doubles, trebles, four-folds and so on – the rules surrounding non-runners are again fairly simple, with the non-runner leg of the bet made void, and the stake rolling onto the remaining selections. For example, if you have a non-runner in a treble, your bet will become a double on the remaining selections, a four-fold becomes a treble, a double becomes a single, and so on. This rule also applies to multiplies contained within combination bets such as Yankees, Lucky 15s, Patents, and other such bets.
But what about Forecast and Tricast bets? Do similar rules apply for those adventurous punters attempting to predict the 1-2 or 1-2-3 in any given horse race? It turns out that the waters are a little muddier in this area.
Whereas the rules surrounding singles, multiples, and combination bets are the same from bookmaker to bookmaker, the settlement procedures surrounding non-runners in Forecasts and Tricasts can vary between companies. Here we look at each type of Forecast and Tricast bet in turn and outline the most common settlement rules in place.
Forecasts
We’ll start by looking at what happens to the various types of forecast bets, where you predict the first two horses or greyhounds to finish a race.
Straight Forecast (CSF)
The most common type of Forecast bet requires you to name the first and second placed horses in the correct order and will be settled using the industry standard Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) dividend. If you have a non-runner in this type of bet, you will face one of the following two settlement procedures:
- The bet will be made void and your stake will be returned.
- Your bet will become a win single on the remaining selection.
Reverse Forecast (RFC)
This bet requires you to select two horses to finish in the first two in any order, and is essentially a combination of two Straight Forecasts: Horse A to finish first and Horse B to finish second; and Horse B to finish first and Horse A to finish second. A non-runner in a Reverse Forecast will be treated in the same way as in a Straight Forecast, i.e., the bet made void or the whole stake placed on the remaining selection to win.
Combination Forecasts (CFC)
This popular Forecast bet requires you to select three or more runners, which will be combined into all possible Forecast bets. For example, a Combination Forecast on numbers 1, 2, and 3, would be broken down into the following six Straight Forecast bets:
- 1-2
- 1-3
- 2-1
- 2-3
- 3-1
- 3-2
So now what happens if there’s a non-runner? Again, the process differs from company to company, but will almost always follow one of two processes. Let’s say, for example, that Horse 1 is the non-runner. Firms which opt to void all Forecasts containing a non-runner will settle the bet in the following way, using the example of a £1 Combination Forecast:
- 1-2 – Void: £1 Stake Returned
- 1-3 – Void: £1 Stake Returned
- 2-1 – Void: £1 Stake Returned
- 2-3 – Remains as a £1 Straight Forecast
- 3-1 – Void: £1 Stake Returned
- 3-2 – Remains as a £1 Straight Forecast
In this instance, you will receive £4 back as a voided stake and end up with a £1 Reverse Forecast on runners 2 and 3.
For those companies who opt to convert Forecasts containing a non-runner into Win Singles, the following will apply:
- 1-2 – Becomes a £1 win Single on 2
- 1-3 – Becomes a £1 win Single on 3
- 2-1 – Becomes a £1 win Single on 2
- 2-3 – Remains as a £1 Straight Forecast
- 3-1 – Becomes a £1 win Single on 3
- 3-2 – Remains as a £1 Straight Forecast
The end result of this process leaves you with a £1 Reverse Forecast on 2 and 3, in addition to £2 win singles on 2 and 3.
Tricasts
Next we’ll look at what happens to tricast bets when there is a non-runner. By which we mean bets placed of the first three finishers in a particular race.
Straight Tricast (STC)
Moving on to the Tricast bet – which requires you to predict the first three finishers in the race – almost all bookmakers will follow the following rule:
- If one of your Tricast selections is a non-runner, the bet will become a Forecast on the remaining selections in the stated order.
This rule applies to Straight Tricasts and all Tricast bets within a Combination Tricast.
However, if you are unfortunate enough to select two non-runners in your Tricast bet, you will be faced with one of two markedly different scenarios:
- Some companies will void the bet and return your stake.
- Others will place the stake on the remaining runner as a Win Single.
Combination Tricast (CTC)
The above rule variants carry over into the area of Combination Tricasts (CTC). In a CTC containing three selections with one non-runner, you will almost always see your six Tricasts converted into six Forecasts.
In a CTC with two non-runners, one of the following with happen:
- You will receive your whole stake back as a result of all Tricasts being made void
- You will have the whole stake placed on the remaining runner as a Win Single.
Things become a little more complicated in Combination Tricasts containing more than three selections. Let’s take a look at how a four-horse CTC would be settled under both rules scenarios:
If your bookmaker opts to convert Tricasts with one non-runner to Forecasts and void all Tricasts featuring two non-runners, the following will apply – using the example of a £1 CTC where horses 1 and 2 are our non-runners.
- 1-2-3 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 1-2-4 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 1-3-2 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 1-3-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 1-4-2 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 1-4-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 2-1-3 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 2-1-4 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 2-3-1 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 2-3-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 2-4-1 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 2-4-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 3-1-2 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 3-1-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-2-1 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 3-2-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-4-1 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-4-2 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 4-1-2 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 4-1-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-2-1 – Void, £1 Stake Returned
- 4-2-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-3-1 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-3-2 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
Altogether this leaves you with £12 returned in voided stakes and a £6 Reverse Forecast on 3 and 4.
Bookmakers who convert all Tricasts containing one non-runner into a Forecast, and those containing two non-runners into Win Singles will settle the bet as follows.
- 1-2-3 – £1 win single on 3
- 1-2-4 – £1 win single on 4
- 1-3-2 – £1 win single on 3
- 1-3-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 1-4-2 – £1 win single on 4
- 1-4-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 2-1-3 – £1 win single on 3
- 2-1-4 – £1 win single on 4
- 2-3-1 – £1 win single on 3
- 2-3-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 2-4-1 – £1 win single on 4
- 2-4-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 3-1-2 – £1 win single on 3
- 3-1-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-2-1 – £1 win single on 3
- 3-2-4 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-4-1 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 3-4-2 – £1 Straight Forecast 3-4
- 4-1-2 – £1 win single on 4
- 4-1-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-2-1 – £1 win single on 4
- 4-2-3 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-3-1 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
- 4-3-2 – £1 Straight Forecast 4-3
This scenario would see your bet consist of a £6 RFC on 3 and 4, a £6 win single on 3, and a £6 win single on 4.
Tote Bets: Exactas and Trifectas
The pool betting company of the Tote offers its own version of the Forecast and Tricast bet, known as an Exacta and Trifecta respectively. Thankfully, the Tote rules are very straightforward. If any of your selections is declared a non-runner in an Exacta or a Trifecta, the bet will be void and your stake will be returned.
What if the Non-Runner Affects the Terms and Conditions?
There is one final thing to be aware of regarding non-runners and Forecasts/Tricasts, and it relates to the types of races on which these bets are offered:
- Forecast Bets are available on all races featuring three or more runners.
- Tricast Bets are only available on Handicap Races featuring eight or more runners.
If a non-runner pushes the number of starting runners below these minimum requirements, the following will apply:
- All Forecasts on races with two or fewer runners will be made void or occasionally converted to a win single on the selection named to finish first.
- All Tricasts on races with seven or fewer runners will be converted to Forecast bets on the runners selected to finish first and second.
Always Check the Terms and Conditions
The above covers the scenarios you will face should an unwanted non-runner infect your Forecast or Tricast bet. With the variations between the different firms, the best advice is to consult the terms and conditions of the individual bookmaker and select those you find most appealing. Whilst non-runners can be disappointing, it is just as frustrating if you anticipate a payout as a result of your Forecast being converted to a win single, only to find that the bet has been made void.