Rule 4 calculator
When a horse is withdrawn after you took a price, your winnings (not your stake) are cut by a scale set by its odds: from 90p in the pound for a 1/9 shot to 5p for 10/1 to 14/1, and nothing over 14/1. A £10 win bet at 4/1 after a 2/1 withdrawal returns £38.00 instead of £50.00.
Checked 2026-11-11. Source: Tattersalls Committee Rules on Betting, Rule 4(C).
18+. A calculator shows what a bet would return, not how likely it is to win. Set a budget before you bet. Free help: GamCare (UK, 0808 8020 133) · Gambling Care (Ireland).
The Rule 4(C) scale
Deduction per £1 of winnings, by the withdrawn horse's odds at the time of the official withdrawal, as printed in the Tattersalls Committee Rules on Betting:
| Withdrawn horse's odds | Deduction per £ |
|---|---|
| 1/9 or longer odds on | 90p |
| 2/11 to 2/17 | 85p |
| 1/4 to 1/5 | 80p |
| 3/10 to 2/7 | 75p |
| 2/5 to 1/3 | 70p |
| 8/15 to 4/9 | 65p |
| 8/13 to 4/7 | 60p |
| 4/5 to 4/6 | 55p |
| 20/21 to 5/6 | 50p |
| Evens to 6/5 | 45p |
| 5/4 to 6/4 | 40p |
| 8/5 to 7/4 | 35p |
| 9/5 to 9/4 | 30p |
| 12/5 to 3/1 | 25p |
| 16/5 to 4/1 | 20p |
| 9/2 to 11/2 | 15p |
| 6/1 to 9/1 | 10p |
| 10/1 to 14/1 | 5p |
| Over 14/1 | No deduction |
Two or more withdrawals: the deductions add up, and the total can never exceed 90p in the pound.
return = stake + winnings × (1 − deduction ÷ 100), for each part of an each way bet that wins or places.
Worked examples
Win bet. £10 at 4/1, a 2/1 shot withdrawn (30p). Winnings £40 × 0.70 = £28.00, plus the £10 stake: £38.00.
Each way, placed. £10 each way (£20) at 10/1, 1/5 odds; a 5/1 shot withdrawn (15p). The win part loses. The place part pays 2/1: winnings £20 × 0.85 = £17.00, plus the £10 place stake: £27.00.
Two favourites withdrawn. £10 win at 6/1; a 1/2 shot (65p) and a 4/6 shot (55p) withdrawn: 120p, capped at 90p. Winnings £60 × 0.10 = £6.00: £16.00 back.
When Rule 4 applies
- Bets struck at a price on the day of the race, before the official notification that a horse was withdrawn or declared not to have started.
- Starting price bets are not affected, unless there was no time to form a new market.
- Ante-post bets follow their own rules; check your bookmaker's terms.
Bookmakers settle by these rules unless their own terms say otherwise. A dead heat on top of a withdrawal: the dead heat reduces the stake first, then Rule 4 reduces the winnings (Rule 10(b)); see the dead heat calculator. Full each way returns: each way calculator.
Questions
What is a Rule 4 deduction?
When a horse is withdrawn after you took a price, bookmakers reduce the winnings on the horses left in the race by a scale set by the withdrawn horse's odds (Tattersalls Rule 4(C)). Your stake is not reduced. A 2/1 withdrawal costs 30p in every £1 of winnings: a £10 win bet at 4/1 returns £38.00 instead of £50.00.
Does Rule 4 apply to starting price bets?
No, unless there was not enough time to form a new market after the withdrawal; then the same scale applies. Bets at a price taken before the withdrawal are reduced.
What if two horses are withdrawn?
The deductions add up, but the total can never be more than 90p in the pound. A 1/2 and a 4/6 shot withdrawn give 65p + 55p, cut to 90p.
Is the place part of an each way bet reduced too?
Yes. Rule 4 reduces the bookmaker's liability on any remaining horse, win or place. £10 each way at 10/1 (1/5 odds) that places after a 5/1 withdrawal returns £27.00 instead of £30.00.
Is there a deduction for a horse over 14/1?
No. Withdrawn horses priced longer than 14/1 carry no deduction.