What is Non-Runner No Bet? NRNB Meaning Explained

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Kevin Taylor

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Michael Butlin

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What is Non-Runner No Bet? NRNB Meaning Explained

Key Takeaways

NRNB provides insurance.
The safety net of NRNB means you won't have to worry too much about the horse you’re backing not running.
They can help your accumulators.
If you place an early Cheltenham accumulator (also known as a parlay or a multi) with a site with NRNB, the bet will be shortened by a leg if one of your selections doesn't run.
Note different refund formats.
NRNB refunds on singles can take the form of cash or bonus bets.
Read terms & conditions.
Not every bookmaker offers NRNB, so double-check if it's available. Most sites make this clear in their horse racing odds section.
This goes beyond horse racing.
While NRNB is most common in horse racing, some betting sites offer similar protections in other sports futures markets.

Non-runner no bet (NRNB) is a valuable concession that protects a bettor’s stake if their selection doesn't run.

Non-runner no bet is particularly useful for betting on the Cheltenham Festival, the UK’s premier jumps racing event. It should be a major factor when deciding where to place Festival bets.

Here, we cover how the non-runner no bet concession works and highlight horse racing betting sites that offer NRNB.

Note: This article uses terms common to UK and Irish horse racing, such as “non-runner no bet.” This type of wager may also be known as a “no action” bet in other regions.

How Does Non Runner No Bet Work?

Standard ante-post terms and conditions dictate that if you back a horse and it doesn’t run for whatever reason (and there are many), you've lost your stake.

That changes when the bookmaker applies the non-runner no bet concession. In this case, bettors can back horses knowing that their stake will be refunded if their selection does not run.

Not all bookmakers offer non-runner no-bet, and markets are usually live for several months before the concession is applied.

Cheltenham Non Runner No Bet

The safety net of an NRNB refund is a significant addition to any racing bettor’s arsenal.

Taking a horse's Cheltenham odds two months in advance is all good, but you must know that they could pick up an injury a few days or weeks later, which would kill your bet without NRNB.

The other considerable upside to the non-runner no bet concession is the ability to back a horse in a race it may not run in.

There are many options for horses at the Cheltenham Festival, but NRNB protects your stake if the horse is rerouted to a different race.

With NRNB, you can at least be safe knowing that you'll get your stake back if your selection goes to a race different from the one you placed your bet on.

You'll start seeing sites offering NRNB from early January onwards; the date it is introduced varies from one bookie to the next.

Grand National Non-Runner No Bet

The Aintree Grand National is the UK’s most-watched and most bet-on race of the year. Non-runner no bet is among the most popular Grand National betting strategies.

Grand National NRNB is usually available as soon as the Cheltenham Festival ends in mid-March, with the National taking place around four weeks later.

Weights can be a significant factor in deciding whether a potential runner qualifies to take a chance at the big prize.

If a trainer feels like a horse is too high in weight, they might be tempted to change course and instead target a different race, which can ruin your Grand National bet.

This won’t be a problem for anyone who has backed that horse with the Grand National non-runner no bet concession.