DOWN ROYAL A big crowd for May Bank Holiday Monday racing at Down Royal with racegoers cheering home their horses Photo Healy RacingThis guide details the main types of horse racing bets and is hopefully a source you can refer to when you are feeling confident you have found a winner.
Betting can seem complex at times and the multitude of bet types may feel overwhelming, that is why we are here to help simplify betting and the various ways to bet on horses.
You may have heard the terms accumulator, ‘yankee’ and Lucky 15 used by seasoned punters, particularly around the big racing festivals. These are different types of multiple bets which involve betting on more than one horse and require a smaller stake to land a bigger payout.
There is more risk involved with placing multiple bets and the chances of winning a multiple bet are less, however, if you have unearthed more than one horse to win or place in a race or over a period of time, it may just be the bet for you.
Below is our detailed guide to the main types of horse racing bets.
Found one horse who you think will land the spoils? The single bet is a straight win bet on one horse, to win one race. This is the simplest and most common of betting types.
If you have delved into the form and picked two horses you believe will win, then try a double. A double is an accumulator of two selections and both horses must win to receive a return. A €1 double costs €1. This is one of the most popular types of bets for horse racing.
Similar to the double, a treble is an accumulator of three single bets, a four-fold is an accumulator of four bets and so on. Use our bet calculator to help you calculate your likely return.
An Accumulator, more commonly referred to as ‘an acca’ is a bet placed on four or more horses in one bet and all horses must win to yield a return.
How does it work? The winnings from your first bet rolls on to the next horse.
The maximum number of horses you can have in an accumulator is twenty, also known as a twentyfold accumulator. A €1 accumulator costs €1 and the return depends on the winning odds of the horses in the accumulator.
If you have three fancies on the day, why not try a Trixie instead of a treble? For example you fancy numbers 1, 2 and 3 to win in three different races. The Trixie is made up of four bets:
Two of the bets must land to receive a return, so this is less risky than placing a treble but your stake is higher. A €1 Trixie costs €4 as it is made up of four bets.
A further option if you fancy three horses (1, 2 and 3) to win three different races is the patent which comprises seven bets:
To receive a payout only one selection needs to win. A €1 Patent costs €7, double your stake to €2 and it will cost €14 etc.
Have you pinpointed four horses to win four different races? The Yankee comprises 11 bets placed on four horses (1, 2, 3 and 4):
To receive a payout, a minimum of two selections must win. A €1 Yankee will cost you ??€11.
The lucky fifteen is similar to the yankee but also includes singles. The bet consists of four horses (1, 2, 3 and 4) and places fifteen different bets on the four horses:
To receive a payout, Only one horse must win. A €1 Lucky Fifteen will cost €15. It is one of the most popular types of multiple bets.
The Canadian is a total of 26 bets on five horses in five different races, it is also known as a Super Yankee:
To receive a payout, a minimum of two selections must win. A €1 Canadian will cost €26.
A Lucky 31 is similar to the Canadian but also comprises singles. It consists of 31 bets on five different horses in five different races:
To yield a return, one selection must win. A €1 Lucky 31 will cost you €31.
Why not have a bit of fun and try to find six horses who you think will land the spoils? This bet is made up of 57 bets placed on six different horses:
To yield a return, you must have two winners. A €1 Heinz will cost €57 which is why it’s also known as a Heinz 57!
Those lucky six horses could also be placed in a Lucky 63 and yes that is 63 bets placed on six horses in six different races:
Returns are paid at five times the odds, if one horse wins. A €1 Lucky 63 will cost €63.
Feeling bullish that seven of your selections will score? The Super Heinz is an impressive 120 bets on seven horses in seven different races:
To yield a return, a minimum of two horses must win. A €1 Super Heinz will cost €120.
The Goliath places a mammoth 247 bets on eight horses in eight different races:
Again, a minimum of two horses must win to receive any type of payout. A €1 Goliath costs €247.
It might not come as a surprise that the Alphabet consists of 26 bets on six different horses:
Only one selection must win for you to yield a return and there is the potential to receive a large payout.
A Single Stakes About bet allows you to bet on two different events. These are combined to create two different bets derived from two singles. You must make a minimum of your initial stake back to fund the second bet.
Comprising two selections and two bets, this is similar to the above. You will need to win on the first part of the bet which will then fund the second part of the bet.
This is a slightly more complex bet but still one of the popular types of bets in horse racing. The Round Robin comprises 10 bets made up from three selections:
If all three selections win, then you will make a return.
Similar to the above bet, the Flag consists of:
To add even more intrigue and excitement to the above bet, why not try the Super Flag? This bet comprises:
The Super Heinz Flag is perhaps not one of the most common betting types but worth a shot if you are feeling confident. The bet consists of:
How about the ultimate Goliath Flag? If you’re feeling bold, then this could be the bet for you. The bet comprises:
Try something a bit different with the Union Jack bet. This comprises nine selections which are displayed in the shape of a Union Jack. The bet is made up of eight trebles with one selection in the middle and eight selections around it.
Each-way betting increases your chances of yielding a return if you fancy a horse in a race. Half of your stake will go on the horse to win and the other half on the horse to place. If you place €2 each-way on a horse to win, it will cost you €4 in total.
Choose two horses to finish first and second in the same race and they must finish 1st and 2nd to receive a return.
Choose two horses to finish first and second in the same race in any order to yield a return.
This type of bet consists of picking three or more horses in the same race. Two of the horses must finish first or second in any order for a payout.
If you think three horses will finish first, second and third in a race you can bet on them to finish in that order.
If you fancy three horses or more horses in a race you can bet on each horse to finish first, second and third in any order. There must be eight runners in the race to place this bet.
Matched betting is a technique used by bettors taking advantage of new customer offers and free bets to make a profit. Matched betting is placed on both outcomes so you are guaranteed a win.
A fun one for a day at the races. This allows you to choose six horses who you think will place in six races on the card. All horses must place for you to yield a return. If you are lucky and all six horses are placed, you will receive a share of the total pool.
Pick six horses to win on the day at a specified meeting and if all six horses win, you will win a share of the pool. Returns can be massive but this is a very tricky type of bet to win,
There is plenty more advice and guidance on betting and types of racing bets available to you here. Check out our other pages for information on:
