Betting guide
Forecast and tricast betting: how to name the first two or three home
The Balmoral Handicap closed British Champions Day at Ascot on 17 October 2026 with 20 runners and a 22/1 winner. Fifth Column beat Indalo, a 16/1 shot, with Ebt’s Guard (11/1) third. A £1 straight forecast on the first two paid £321.76. A £1 tricast on all three paid £4,152.31.
Forecasts and tricasts are how racing punters chase that kind of return: you are not just picking the winner, you are naming who follows it home. They are hard to land, which is why they pay so well, and they are settled in a way that surprises a lot of people. Here is how they work, with the official dividends from Champions Day.
And this week’s biggest forecast, from the latest results:
Latest real example · biggest forecast of the last 7 days
5:00 Newcastle (AW), Monday 12 October 2026
Carmel Valley (22/1) beat Bay Dream Believer (50/1), with Goomah (9/2) third. The Computer Straight Forecast paid £803.86 to a £1 stake; a £1 reverse forecast cost £2 and returned the same £803.86. The £1 tricast paid £5,820.18. On the Tote, the Exacta paid £228.30.
Official results and starting prices from The Racing API. Updated automatically from the latest UK racing.
Straight forecast: first and second in order
A straight forecast names the winner and the second, in that order. If they finish the other way round, you lose.
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, 17 October 2026. Talk Of New York (3/1) beat Ten Bob Tony (7/1). The Computer Straight Forecast dividend was £24.10 to a £1 stake. A £5 straight forecast returned £120.50.
The Computer Straight Forecast (CSF): how forecasts are paid
You don’t get fixed odds on a forecast. Bookmakers settle straight forecasts at the Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) dividend: a figure worked out after the race from the starting prices of the first two, the size of the field and the type of race. The dividend is declared to a £1 stake and includes the stake.
That means the return depends on the prices at the off. A forecast with a 22/1 winner and a 16/1 second in a 20-runner handicap is worth hundreds of pounds; one with two short-priced favourites in a six-runner Group 1 is worth very little. Ombudsman (5/4) and Calandagan (5/2) filled the first two places in the Champion Stakes and the CSF was £4.42.
Reverse forecast: first and second in either order
A reverse forecast names two horses to finish first and second in any order. It is two straight forecasts — A then B, and B then A — so a £1 reverse forecast costs £2.
On the QEII, a £1 reverse forecast on Talk Of New York and Ten Bob Tony cost £2 and returned £24.10: one of the two lines won.
Combination forecast: three or more horses
A combination forecast covers every order of first and second among three or more selections.
| Selections | Straight forecasts covered | Cost at £1 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 (reverse forecast) | 2 | £2 |
| 3 | 6 | £6 |
| 4 | 12 | £12 |
| 5 | 20 | £20 |
A £1 combination forecast on Fifth Column, Indalo and Ebt’s Guard in the Balmoral cost £6 and returned £321.76, because one of its six lines was the right order.
Tricast: first, second and third in order
A straight tricast names the first three in the correct order. It is settled at the tricast dividend, calculated from the starting prices in the same way as the CSF.
| Race | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Tricast (£1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmoral Handicap | Fifth Column 22/1 | Indalo 16/1 | Ebt’s Guard 11/1 | £4,152.31 |
| Long Distance Cup | Mount Atlas 33/1 | Queenstown 14/1 | Highwayman 7/4F | £1,239.80 |
| Fillies & Mares Stakes | Minnie Hauk 5/1 | Believed 16/1 | Lilt 6/1 | £493.46 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | Talk Of New York 3/1 | Ten Bob Tony 7/1 | Rayif 10/1 | £191.03 |
A tricast dividend isn’t declared for every race. There was none for the six-runner Champion Stakes, for instance, so check that the bookmaker offers a tricast before you place one.
Combination tricast: every order of three or more
A combination tricast covers every order of first, second and third among your selections.
| Selections | Tricasts covered | Cost at £1 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | £6 |
| 4 | 24 | £24 |
| 5 | 60 | £60 |
| 6 | 120 | £120 |
A £1 combination tricast on the first three home in the Balmoral cost £6 and returned £4,152.31. The cost climbs fast: four horses is 24 lines, five is 60.
Forecast or Tote Exacta: which pays more?
The Tote runs its own version of each bet. The Exacta is a pool bet on the first two in order, and the Trifecta on the first three. You are paid from the pool, not by the CSF, so the dividend can be bigger or smaller.
| Race | CSF (£1) | Tote Exacta (£1) | Tricast (£1) | Tote Trifecta (£1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmoral Handicap | £321.76 | £355.30 | £4,152.31 | £3,437.40 |
| Long Distance Cup | £401.86 | £291.40 | £1,239.80 | £1,097.70 |
| Fillies & Mares Stakes | £72.81 | £79.20 | £493.46 | £398.20 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Stakes | £24.10 | £21.20 | £191.03 | £110.70 |
| Champion Stakes | £4.42 | £4.00 | — | £13.50 |
On Champions Day the computer dividends beat the Tote on most races, but not all: the Exacta paid more on the Balmoral and the Fillies & Mares. You can’t know which will be bigger until the race is over. Our Tote betting guide explains how the pools work.
Non-runners in forecast and tricast bets
If one of your forecast or tricast selections doesn’t run, the bet is usually settled as a win single on the remaining horse (a forecast) or as a forecast on the remaining two (a tricast). Combination bets lose the lines that include the non-runner. Rules differ slightly between bookmakers, so check the terms. A late withdrawal can also bring in a Rule 4 deduction.
When to bet a forecast
- When you have a strong view on the first two but the winner alone is short. A 6/4 favourite won’t make you rich; a forecast with the right 10/1 shot second might.
- In big-field handicaps, where the dividends are largest and the market is least sure.
- With a small stake. These are long shots by nature. A £1 combination tricast on four horses is still £24.
Forecast and tricast bets: your questions answered
What is a straight forecast?
A bet on two horses to finish first and second in the exact order.
What is a reverse forecast?
Two straight forecasts on the same two horses, so they can finish first and second in either order. A £1 reverse forecast costs £2.
What is a CSF?
The Computer Straight Forecast — the dividend bookmakers use to settle straight forecasts. It is calculated after the race from the starting prices of the first two, the size of the field and the type of race.
How many bets is a combination tricast?
Three selections make 6 bets, four make 24, five make 60 and six make 120.
What is the difference between a tricast and a Trifecta?
A tricast is a bookmaker bet settled at a computer-calculated dividend. A Trifecta is the Tote’s pool bet on the first three in order, paid from the pool.
Can I place an each-way forecast?
No. Forecasts and tricasts are win-only bets on the finishing order.
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