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Tricast and forecast calculator

A combination tricast on 4 horses is 24 bets, so £1 a line costs £24. A combination forecast on 3 horses is 6 bets. Only one line can win, and it pays the declared dividend × your stake per line.

Checked 2026-11-07. Source: formula below.

Tap 3 to 10 horses. Every order of three of them is one line.

HorseAny order
Horse 1
Horse 2
Horse 3
Horse 4
Horse 5
Horse 6
Horse 7
Horse 8
Your bet covers 24 lines
  1. 1 then 2 then 3
  2. 1 then 2 then 4
  3. 1 then 3 then 2
  4. 1 then 3 then 4
  5. 1 then 4 then 2
  6. 1 then 4 then 3
  7. 2 then 1 then 3
  8. 2 then 1 then 4
  9. 2 then 3 then 1
  10. 2 then 3 then 4
  11. 2 then 4 then 1
  12. 2 then 4 then 3
  13. 3 then 1 then 2
  14. 3 then 1 then 4
  15. 3 then 2 then 1
  16. 3 then 2 then 4
  17. 3 then 4 then 1
  18. 3 then 4 then 2
  19. 4 then 1 then 2
  20. 4 then 1 then 3
  21. 4 then 2 then 1
  22. 4 then 2 then 3
  23. 4 then 3 then 1
  24. 4 then 3 then 2
Total stake£24.00
Lines24
Return if it comes in–
Profit–

Combination tricast: 24 lines × £1.00 = £24.00. Only one line can win. It pays the declared tricast dividend × your stake per line. Dividends include your £1 stake.

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).

How forecasts and tricasts are worked out

A forecast picks the first two home, a tricast the first three. Straight bets need the exact order; reverse and combination bets cover every order of your selections.

combination forecast lines = n × (n − 1) · combination tricast lines = n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) · total stake = lines × stake per line

Worked example: a £0.50 combination tricast on 4 horses is 24 × £0.50 = £12. If two of them and a third finish 1-2-3 and the tricast dividend is £87.45, the return is £87.45 × 0.5 = £43.73. The dividend here is an example; the real one is declared after the race.

Lines and cost at £1 a line

BetSelectionsLinesTotal stake
Straight forecast21£1
Reverse forecast22£2
Combination forecast36£6
Combination forecast412£12
Combination forecast520£20
Straight tricast31£1
Combination tricast36£6
Combination tricast424£24
Combination tricast560£60
Combination tricast6120£120

In the US and Australia the same bets are called an exacta box and a trifecta box: see the trifecta box calculator. For an each way bet that dead-heated, use the dead heat calculator.

Questions

How many bets is a combination tricast?

n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) lines: 6 with 3 selections, 24 with 4 and 60 with 5. A £1 combination tricast on 4 horses costs £24.

How many bets is a combination forecast?

n × (n − 1): 6 with 3 selections, 12 with 4. A reverse forecast is a combination forecast on 2 selections: 2 lines.

How is a forecast paid?

Bookmakers settle forecasts at the computer straight forecast (CSF) dividend and tricasts at the declared tricast dividend, both quoted per £1 including the stake. Your return is the dividend × your stake per line.

Can a combination tricast win more than once?

No. Only one order can finish first, second and third, so exactly one line wins; the rest of the stake is lost.

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