Horse Racing Bet Types

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Find out more about horse racing bet types, we look at all the different types of bets you can place.

If you are looking to bet on the horses, there are lots of different bet types and options. In our full guide, we look at all of them, from singles to Yankees, Lucky 15 to Goliaths, so you can find one to suit you. 

With so much selection in bet types, our teams have broken down the various ones so you can find a bet to suit you, whether you are watching on TV at home, are going to the local betting shop or off for a day at the races – there’s loads of fun and exciting bets for you to consider.

Check out our terminology guides on UK horse racing betting terms and the horse racing terminology UK.

Find a horse racing bet type today in our horse racing bets explained UK guide:

Types of Horse Racing Bets
Horse race betting types explained.

What Are The Different Types of Horse Racing Bets?

There are many types of horse racing bets to choose from when placing a bet.

From singles to accumulators, we have a list of all betting types available for you to wager on, are you ready?

The types of horse racing bets are:

Single

The most common horse racing betting type is the single bet, sometimes also known as a straight win bet.

The single bet can be placed on the horse to win the race or an each-way – where you can receive returns for grabbing a place (normally 1st 2nd and 3rd). However, the number of places paid in an each-way bet is determined by the size of the field, find out more about each-way bets.

For more details on singles (or straight bets as they are sometimes called) and a winning bet calculator check out our full guide here on single bets.

Double

A double bet is on two selections running in different races or events.

Both selections must win or place (if each-way) to guarantee a return. If one loses the bet is off. They don’t have to be consecutive races.

For more details on this bet type, check out our guide here on double bets.

Treble

A treble bet is on three selections running in different races or events.

It is similar to a double but all 3 selections must win or place (if each way) to guarantee a return.

For more in-depth info and details on trebles, check out our guide to treble bets.

That’s the basic bets out of the way, now on to some more exciting ones… and don’t forget to check out our best horse racing betting sites, if you are looking to bet online.

Trixie

A Trixie bet comprises of three selections running in different horse races.

The Trixie bet is comprised of four bets in total, these being:

  • 3 x doubles
  • 1 x treble

To payout, a minimum of two selections must win or place in with each way bet, to get a return. A Trixie is a multiple bet type.

If you are interested in this bet type, then find out more details on our Trixie bets page.

Patent Bet

A Patent bet is a one with 3 different selections and 7 total bets.

It is the equivalent of a Trixie but with the addition of three singles. So a patent bet is:

  • 3 x singles
  • 3 x doubles
  • 1 x treble

The total winnings will depend on the outcome of the different horses and the amount you have decided to stake.

In order to get a payout from a Patent bet, one selection must win or place (if e/w)  to guarantee a return.

For more details on Patents simply check out our guide here on Patent bets, it also includes a calculator to help work out any winnings.

Accumulator

An accumulator bet comprises four or more selections running in different races.

All 4 or more selections must win or place (if each way) to guarantee a return. It’s basically a step up from a double and treble.

For more details check out our guide here on accumulator bets.

The next bets are very popular and “fun” bets, especially if you are watching on TV and like to have a runner in the main day’s races…

Yankee Bet

A Yankee bet is a wager with 4 sections, these 4 horses work themselves into the following bets:

  • 6 x doubles
  • 4 x trebles
  • 1 x fourfold accumulator

A minimum of two selections must win or place to guarantee a return, you can place a Yankee bet to be win based or each way.

A Yankee is a multiple bet type.

For more details check out our guide here on Yankee bets – it goes into more detail all also has a winnings calculator, should you be so lucky!

Lucky 15

A Lucky 15 is a very popular bet and consists of 15 individual bets made from 4 horse selections, running in different horse races.

It is the equivalent of a Yankee but with the addition of four singles, so a Lucky 15 consists of:

  • 4 x singles
  • 6 x doubles
  • 4 x trebles
  • 1 x four-fold accumulator

A minimum of one selection must win or place, if an each-way Lucky 15, to guarantee a return. The payout and winnings vary depending on how many of the bets do win or place, obviously the more that do the better the winning return to the punter. Many people consider the Lucky 15 one of the smartest bet in horse racing as it gives lots of options and bet types.

A Lucky 15 is a multiple bet type.

For more details check out our guide here on Lucky 15 bets.

Canadian

A Canadian Bet is a type of wager which consists of 26 individual bets.

Also known as a Super Yankee, a Canadian comprises five-horse selections running in five different races. They don’t have to be consecutive races.

The Canadian Bet is 26 bets and comprises of:

  • 10 x doubles
  • 10 x trebles
  • 5 x  fourfold’s
  • 1 x five-fold accumulator

A minimum of two selections must win or place (if done each-way) to get a return.

A popular horse racing betting option with many punters.

For more details check out our guide here on Canadian bets.

Lucky 31

A Lucky 31 consists of 31 individual bets with five selections running in different races.

It is the equivalent of a Super Yankee but with the addition of five singles, so it consists of:

  • 5 x singles
  • 10 x doubles
  • 10 x trebles
  • 5 x fourfolds
  • 1 x fivefold

The payout and winnings will obviously depend on how many of the bets you win or place. A minimum of one selection must win or place to guarantee a return.

These types of bets can give a potentially high profit – but they are obviously quite difficult to win due to all the possible outcomes.

For more details check out our more detailed guide here – Lucky 31 bets.

Super Yankee

A Super Yankee Bet is a type of wager which consists of 26 individual bets with five selections running in different races.

Also known as a Canadian, a Super Yankee comprises five selections running in different races.

The 26 bets comprise of:

  • 10 x doubles
  • 10 x trebles
  • 5 x fourfolds
  • 1 x a five-fold accumulator

A minimum of two selections must win or place to guarantee a return, depending on the stake being wagered on a winning bet or each-way.

A popular horse racing betting option with many punters.

For more details check out our guide here on Super Yankee bets.

Heinz

The Heinz Bet is a type of wager which consists of 57 individual bets with six selections running in different races.

The 57 bets comprise of:

  • 15 doubles
  • 20 trebles
  • 15 fourfolds
  • 6 x five-folds
  • 1 x sixfold accumulator

The Heinz bet type is named after the company slogan from Heinz 57 ‘varieties’.

A minimum of two selections must win or place to get a return on your bet.

For more details check out our guide on Heinz bets.

Lucky 63

A Lucky 63 consists of 63 individual bets with six selections running in different races.

It is the equivalent of a Heinz Bet but with the addition of six singles so consists of:

  • 6 x singles
  • 15 x doubles
  • 20 x trebles
  • 15 x fourfolds
  • 6 x fivefolds
  • 1 x sixfold

The payout of Lucky 63s varies depending on the odds and number of the horses winning. A minimum of one selection must win or place to get a payout.

For more details check out our guide here on Lucky 63 bets.

Super Heinz

The Super Heinz Bet consists of 120 individual bets with seven selections running in different races.

The 120 bets comprise of:

  • 21 x doubles
  • 35 x trebles
  • 35 x fourfolds
  • 21 x five-folds
  • 7 x six-folds
  • 1 x sevenfold accumulator

A minimum of two selections must win or place to get a return on the bet, the winning will obviously depend on the stake wagered, odds and if you bet win or each-way bet.

A popular horse racing betting option with many punters.

For more details check out our guide here on Super Heinz bets. We also have a calculator on here to work on the winnings.

Goliath

The Goliath Bet consists of a whopping 247 individual bets with eight selections running in different races.

The 247 bets comprise of:

  • 28 x doubles
  • 56 x trebles
  • 70 x fourfolds
  • 56 x five-folds
  • 28 x six-folds
  • 8 seven-folds
  • 1 x eightfold accumulator

A minimum of two selections must win or place to get a return. If you get all 8 selections placed or winning in this bet – you are in for a big payout!

For more details check out our guide here on Goliath bets.

Don’t forget it you are putting a bet on be sure to check out our UK racecourse guides, we give lots of information so that you can hopefully pick some winners. Check out our picking a winning horse blog as well.

Union Jack Trebles

The Union Jack Trebles Bet consists of 8 individual bets with nine selections running in different races.

The 9 bets comprise of:

  • 8 x trebles

Groupings are determined by laying out the selections in a 3×3 union jack grid.

This forms three horizontal trebles, three vertical trebles and two diagonal trebles in the design of the union jack flag – hence the name!

For more details check out our guide here on Union Jack Trebles bets.

Union Jack Trixie

The Union Jack Trixie Bet consists of 32 individual bets with nine selections running in different races.

The 32 bets comprise of:

  • 8 x trebles
  • 24 x doubles

Groupings are determined by laying out the selections in a 3×3 union jack grid.

This forms three horizontal trixies, three vertical trixies and two diagonal trixies in the design of the union jack flag.

A Union Jack bet is popular one enjoyed by many weekly punters.

For more details check out our guide here on Union Jack Trixie bets.

Union Jack Patent

The Union Jack Patent Bet consists of 56 individual bets with nine selections running in different races.

The 56 bets comprise:

  • 8 x trebles
  • 24 x doubles
  • 24 x singles

Groupings are determined by laying out the selections in a 3×3 union jack grid.

This forms three horizontal patents, three vertical patents and two diagonal patents in the design of the union jack flag.

For more details check out our guide here on Union Jack Patent bets.

Union Jack Round Robin

The Union Jack Round Robin Bet consists of 80 individual bets with nine selections running in different races.

The 80 bets comprise:

  • 8 x trebles
  • 24 x doubles
  • 24 x up-and-down single stakes about pairs

Groupings are determined by laying out the selections in a 3×3 union jack grid.

This forms three horizontal round robins, three vertical round robins and two diagonal round robins in the design of the union jack flag.

For more details check out our guide here on Union Jack Round Robin bets.

Alphabet

The Alphabet Bet consists of 26 individual bets with six selections running in different races.

The 26 bets comprise of:

  • 2 x patent bets (14 bets)
  • 1 x Yankee bet (11 bets)
  • 1 x six-fold accumulator (one bet)

A minimum of one selection must win or place to get a return. For more details check out our guide here on Alphabet bets.

Single Stakes About

A Single Stakes About is on two selections running in different races.

The Single Stakes About bet is two single bets on the 2 selections.

Any return on each single (up to the original stake amount) is used to fund a further single on the other selection.

A minimum of one selection must win or place to guarantee a return.

For more details check out our guide here on Single Stakes About bets.

Double Stakes About

A Double Stakes About is on two selections running in different races.

The Double Stakes About bet is two single bets on the 2 selections.

Any return on each single (up to double the original stake amount) is used to fund a further single on the other selection.

A minimum of one selection must win or place to guarantee a return.

For more details check out our guide here on Double Stakes About bets.

Round Robin

A Round Robin bet is a wager with 3 different selections and 10 total bets.

The ten bets consist of:

  • 3 x doubles
  • 1 x treble
  • 3 x  up-and-down single stakes about pairs

For more details check out our guide here on Round Robin bets.

Flag

A Flag bet is a wager with 4 different selections and 23 total bets.

The 17 Flag bets are:

  • 6 x doubles
  • 4 x trebles
  • 1 x  four-fold
  • 6 x up-and-down single stakes about pairs

Super Flag

A Super Flag bet is a wager with 5 different selections and 46 total bets.

The 46 bets consist of:

  • 10 x doubles
  • 10 x trebles
  • 5 x fourfolds
  • 1 x fivefold
  • 10 x up-and-down single stakes about pairs

For more details check out our guide here on Super Flag bets.

Heinz Flag

A Heinz Flag bet is a wager with 6 different selections and 87 total bets.

The 87 bets consist of:

  • 15 x Doubles
  • 20 x Trebles
  • 15 x Four-Folds
  • 6 x Five-Folds
  • 1 x Six-Fold Accumulator
  • 15 x Single Stake About Bets in pairs

A minimum of one selection must win or place to guarantee a return.

It is similar to a Heinz Bet with the added 15 pairs of Single Stake About Bets.

For more details check out our guide here on Heinz Flag bets.

Super Heinz Flag

A Super Heinz Flag bet is a wager with 7 different selections and 162 total bets.

The 162 bets consist:

  • 21 x Doubles
  • 35 x Trebles
  • 35 x Four-Folds
  • 21 x Five-Folds
  • 7 x Six-Folds
  • 1 x Seven-Fold Accumulator
  • 21 x Single Stake About pairs

A minimum of one selection must win or place to get a return.

It is similar to a Super Heinz Bet with the added 21 pairs of Single Stake About Bets.

For more details check out our guide here on Super Heinz Flag bets.

Goliath Flag

A Goliath Flag bet is a wager with 8 different selections and 303 total bets.

The 303 bets consist of:

  • 28 x Doubles
  • 56 x Trebles
  • 70 x Four-Folds
  • 56 x Five-Folds
  • 28 x Six-Folds
  • 8 x Seven-Folds
  • 1 x Eight-Fold Accumulator
  • 24 x Single Stakes About pairs

A minimum of one selection must win or place to guarantee a return.

It is similar to a Goliath Bet with the added 24 pairs of Single Stake About Bets.

For more details check out our guide here on Goliath Flag bets.

Straight Forecast

A Straight Forecast bet enables you to choose two selections for a race, and these two horses need to finish first and second for you to win.

You can often get good odds for this from the different bookies as it’s obviously more difficult to win than just betting on the first place winner.

This is one of the popular bet types which many punters like to choose as it still offers good profits and isn’t as tricky as some of the other options.

Tricast

A Tricast is where you choose three selections that you think will finish first, second and third in that particular race.

You need to get all three correct in order to win your bet and take home the profits.

Lots of punters will put on these types of bets as they can be very exciting as it comes down to the very last moment to see which horses will come in the top three places.

Each Way Bet

An each-way bet is a two-part bet, with half the stake going on the selection to win and the other half on the selection to place. It costs double that of a traditional win bet and will yield some sort of return if the selection wins or is placed.

In some races, people will use horse racing each-way bets to cover more bases and get a better chance of winning a profit.

The way this works is if your horse wins the race, you’ll receive the winnings for the ‘win’ and ‘place’ portions of your bet.

But if your choice comes in 2nd you will be paid either a quarter or a fifth of the odds for your stake.

This can also apply if your pick comes in 3rd or 4th depending on the individual terms for each race, based on the size of the field.

Typically each way bet places are:

  • 1st – for 4 runner or less
  • 1st & 2nd f0r 5-7  runners
  • 1st 2nd and 3rd for 8 – 15 runners
  • 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th for 16 and more runners

Tote Placepot

A Placepot is a type of bet which requires you to choose a placed horse within the first 6 races at one meeting.

All of your selections must be from the same meeting and in 6 consecutive races.

The positions can vary throughout the different races, but generally, you’re looking to place a horse in first, second or third place in these consecutive races.

Due to it being a pool bet, all of the wagered money is put into a single betting pool and then all of the winners will take an equal share of that amount.

Frequently Asked Questions About Horse Racing Bet Types

The most popular questions we get asked about horse racing bet types are the below.

Also, if it is your first time placing a bet check out our how to place a bet guide.

What is a 3 horse bet called?

A horse bet comprising of three selections is one of the below:

  • Trixie
  • Patent
  • Treble
  • Round Robin
  • Tricast

What is a 4 horse bet called?

A horse bet comprising of four selections is one of the below:

  • Yankee
  • Lucky 15
  • 4-Fold Accumulator
  • Quadpot
  • Flag

What is a 5 horse bet called?

A horse bet comprising of five selections is one of these:

  • Super Yankee
  • Lucky 31
  • Canadian
  • Super Flag
  • 5-Fold Accumulator

What is a 6 horse bet called?

A horse bet comprising of six selections is one of these options:

  • Lucky 63
  • Alphabet
  • Heinz
  • 6-Fold Accumulator
  • Tote Placepot

What bet can I do with 7 horses?

A horse bet comprising of seven selections is either:

  • Super Heinz
  • 7-Fold Accumulator

What is an 8 horse bet?

A horse bet comprising of eight selections is one of these:

  • Goliath
  • 8-Fold Accumulator

What is the safest bet in horse racing?

The safest bet in horse racing is an each-way single bet.

Backing the racehorse each-way means you have the opportunity of still winning even if your selection comes 2nd, 3rd or 4th place (first second and third mainly)

A single bet means you do not need multiple horses for you to receive a return for your bet.

The place bet is advised by many of the best horse racing tipsters as a safer betting opportunity, especially in big field races such as the Ayr Gold Cup, Grand National, Coral Gold Cup and Ebor.

What are Tote Bets?

Tote bets work a little bit different to normal odds offered by bookmakers online.

Tote betting is a betting type which works somewhat like a jackpot. Essentially, you are placing bets on an event by adding money to a pool, or prize amount.

Once all bets are placed, odds are divided up to create dividends – which is the amount expected for each winning slip to receive.

One thing to remember about tote betting is that, unlike straightforward markets, you will receive your initial stake as part of your return amount – not as an extra sum on top.

Plenty of different rules which go into tote betting which are worth looking into. Tote pools are live and are therefore fairly intense at times and sometimes a minimum bet is required.

If you’re interested in diversifying the way you place bets on horse races, why not consider tote pool betting for bigger meetings and championships such as the Derby, races at Haydock Park or Cheltenham Festival?

Popular Questions

What is the best type of horse racing bet?

From our research and analysis, here are the best type of horse racing bets:

Obviously, much of this boils down to personal preference but the above bets are fun, offer a number of selections (to keep your interest) and offer decent bonuses – so what is the best bet in horse racing is not a simple question to answer.

Can you bet on a horse not to win?

Yes, you can place a bet on a horse not to win and this is called a lay bet.

Laying a horse is when you back a racehorse not to win the race.

Essentially, the punter becomes the bookie in a bid to cover any winnings if the horse was to get his head in front. It can cost a lot of money laying bets because you need to pay out the bet amount multiplied by the odds of the horse in the betting market.

What horse bet pays the most?

The horse bets that pay the most are the accumulators. However, with an accumulator bet, all your horse racing selections need to win (or place if each-way) so there is less chance of you winning. But as the odds are higher this gives you the highest-paying returns.

A reminder that you can bet on a horse to win or place (which generally means you get paid if the horse finishes in first second and third.

What sport is the easiest to bet on?

All sports are easy to bet on.

It depends on the number of selections you are looking to make.

Then once you have selected your picks whether you want to gamble on them all winning or hedge your bets to place multiple chances of winning.

Most punters say Horse Racing and Football Betting is the easiest sports to bet on because they are the most popular and there are lots of information to allow you to make informed decisions. When betting on the horses you should always read the daily horse racing racecards, so you have all the info you need.

What is the smartest bet in horse racing?

The smartest bet in horse racing is an each-way lucky 15 against short-priced vulnerable favourites.

Bookmakers do not like accepting the smartest bet in horse racing when punters can identify a false favourite in the betting odds.

The four-horse combination bets of a lucky 15 have been voted the smartest bet in horse racing in March 2024 by the highest rated tipsters for horse race betting.

Types of Bets Summary

As you can see there are a whole load of different types of bets that you can enjoy.

When choosing a bet it often boils down to what you fancy that day – for example, if you are certain of one particular result you can put a larger stake single on to win, if you fancy a horse at big odds to make the frame in a race an each-way bet is best.

Many of the multiple bets are popular with those looking for an afternoon or evening of fun (bets such as Yankees, Lucky 15s etc).

With all the bets we mention above we have more detailed information on individual pages, so check them out! Happy putting and good luck!

All of the bet types, from the basic to the more exotic wagers, explored are available on the below online betting sites.

Subjects covered in our types of horse racing bets guide – horse racing betting overview, win bet and place bet, match bet matched betting explained, multiple bet options up to seven bets, free bet stakes explained.