What is Rule 4 Betting in Horse Racing?

Horse racing is arguably the most iconic betting sport in the world. The frequency of race cards means there is almost always an opportunity for a flutter. Whether you enjoy ‘The Sport of Kings’ on home soil or cast your eye over racing further afield, there is always some action available to you.

Racing also comes packed with jargon, industry terms and unfamiliar language. To a first-time punter, such word soup can be intimidating. The language of racing shares little in common with other sports, so if you’re someone who usually sticks to an over 2.5 goals on the weekend’s big game, you might be a little lost.

This is where Betfred Education can help. We aim to cut through the jargon and break down some of racing’s terminology to make your betting experience easier. Today we will look at Rule 4 in horse racing, including what it is and how it is applied.

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Rule 4 is actually very simple in principle. It is a term used to describe what occurs when a runner or runners pull out of a horse race. The term is applied when there is an adjustment in the odds applied retroactively when a horse doesn’t run.

Rule 4 is used to redress the balance, accounting for the withdrawal of the horse. The odds of the other horses in the race are lowered in accordance with the odds of the withdrawn horse. 

So if the horse who withdraws was a runaway favourite, Rule 4 would see the odds of the other horses reduced considerably. This is to reflect the fact that with a highly-rated horse out of the running, the remaining runners’ chances increase exponentially.

Equally, if a long-shot is the one to pull out, Rule 4 would see the other horses odds reduced only marginally. Sometimes, there is no reduction at all if the non-runner was a particularly remote punt.

Exceptions apply in ante-post betting, which is not affected by Rule 4. While ante-post offers protection against a deduction for Rule 4, if it is your horse that doesn’t run then you will not have your stake refunded. 

Below is a breakdown of how the Rule 4 Deductions are applied depending on the odds of the withdrawn horse.

Withdrawals other than Ante-Post

For clarity, should there be a withdrawn horse the following will apply.

Rule 4 will apply to prices based at the time of bet placement.

Where a horse is withdrawn before coming under starter's orders, or is officially deemed by the starter to have taken no part in the race, stakes will be returned on the withdrawn horse and winning bets will be subject to deductions in accordance with Tattersalls' Rule 4(c). The rate of deduction will be based on the following scale:

DEDUCTION TABLE FOR WITHDRAWALS OTHER THAN ANTE-POST

In the event of two or more horses being withdrawn before coming under starter's orders, the total deductions shall not exceed £0.90 in £'s. Should a horse be withdrawn and a new market formed, then any bets laid at ‘Show’ prices prior to the new show will be subject to the above deductions. In the event of a further withdrawal after the market has been re-formed, bets placed at ‘Show’ prices in the original market will be subject to a further deduction based on the price of the withdrawn horse in the original market. Bets placed in the new market will be subject to a deduction based on the current price.

You can read Betfred's full terms surrounding horse racing here.