Tricast and Forecast Bets: Racing Betting Strategy

Tricast and forecast bets are available at the vast majority of betting sites and are popular bet types with punters seeking out some long-odds action.

In this guide, we’ll cover how tricast and forecast betting works and how you can use theese bets wisely.

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Tricast and Forecast Bets Explained

Both types of bets involve attempting to predict the correct finishing order of race participants. These bets are mainly offered on horse racing and greyhound racing, but can sometimes be placed on motorsports or cycling, or even for outright betting markets in sports like football.

You can attempt to predict the result in its straight order (e.g. horse A to come first, horse B to come second and horse C to come third), or alternatively pick the first two or three horses to come in any order with different types of tricast and forecast bets. You'll find all of these options at top online bookies like 888sport, where you can place free bets on a tricast or forecast.

What Does Tricast Mean in Betting?

With a tricast bet, the bettor attempts to predict the horses that will finish first, second and third in a race. In a straight tricast, all three of those selections must finish in the order the punter predicts when placing the bet.

It is similar to a forecast bet, with the key difference being that a straight forecast bet requires the bettor to predict which runners will finish first and second (while getting the order correct). Obviously, this makes winning a tricast difficult and that is reflected in the higher betting odds when placing a tricast bet.

How to Work Out a Tricast Bet

The top online bookmakers and best betting apps have handy bet calculators that will display the potential winnings from your stake alongside your online betting slip. Your tricast bet returns are worked out by a computer calculation system that takes into account the number of runners and their starting prices.

What is a Forecast Bet in Horse Racing?

A forecast bet requires the punter to pick out the two horses that will finish first and second in a race. With a straight forecast, the bettor needs to predict the correct finishing order.

While not quite as difficult as the straight tricast bet we previously covered, this is still an extremely tricky bet to land. The size of the field is a key consideration and will of course have an impact on the forecast betting odds. If there is a limited number of runners, a forecast bet becomes much more winnable. Conversely, if there is a huge number of runners in a races you'll find it far more difficult - but you will get extremely high odds and a much bigger potential payout.

When it comes to Cheltenham betting, for example, any of the chases with big fields will give you high forecast odds.

How to Work Out a Forecast Bet

As with tricast bets, the best online bookies will display your potential winnings for forecast bets when you enter your stake. Forecast payouts are also worked out by a computer calculation system that takes into account the size of the field and the starting prices of the runners you select.

Are Tricast Bet Payouts Better Than Forecast Payouts?

Tricast bets will generally pay out better than forecasts as there are more selections involved. However, this is not always the case as it all depends on the odds.

If you combine the three runners with the lowest odds in a race in a tricast, the potential payout can be less than it would be if you combined two long-shots in a forecast. This principle applies to any multiple bet you place at horse racing betting sites.

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What is a Combination Tricast?

In a combination tricast bet, the bettor picks three or more runners they believe will finish in the top three.

The key difference between a straight tricast and a combination tricast is that, with the latter be type, the selections can place in any order and the bet will still be a winning one. In that way, it is an easier bet to land than a straight tricast.

Read More: Get top Gold Cup odds for the 2023 race

How Many Bets are in a Combination Tricast?

There are a total of six bets in a combination tricast bet with three selections, which means this type of multiple bet will cost you 6x your stake. If you were successful with a combination tricast in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, for example, these are the six bets that would have made up your combination tricast.

Bet 1: 1st Minella Indo 2nd A Plus Tard 3rd Al Boum Photo

Bet 2: 1st Minella Indo 2nd Al Boum Photo 3rd A Plus Tard

Bet 3: 1st A Plus Tard 2nd Minella Indo 3rd Al Boum Photo

Bet 4: 1st A Plus Tard 2nd Al Boum Photo 3rd Minella Indo

Bet 5: 1st Al Boum Photo 2nd Minella Indo 3rd Al A Plus Tard

Bet 6: 1st Al Boum Photo 2nd A Plus Tard 3rd Minella Indo

Reverse Forecast Bets

A reverse forecast bet involves the punter predicting the two runners that will come first and second in a race - but unlike a straight forecast, they can finish in any order and the bet will be successful. This multiple bet costs double your stake as this is the equivalent of placing two straight forecast bets.

The reverse forecast is a winnable bet type and is far easier to get right than a straight forecast, but the downside is that you have to stake more.

Combination Forecast Bets

A combination forecast bet is a little more complex. With this bet type, you are betting that any combination of three or more selections will finish in the top two. Your chances of landing a winning combination are far better but your stake will be spread across a larger number of bets so the cost of the bet will be higher.

If you make three selections in a combination forecast you will be placing six bets. Again taking the 2021 Gold Cup as an example, if you had selected Minella Indo, A Plus Tard and Al Boum Photo in a combination forecast you would have actually been placing these six bets:

Bet 1: 1st Minella Indo 2nd A Plus Tard

Bet 2: 1st Minella Indo 2nd Al Boum Photo

Bet 3: 1st A Plus Tard 2nd Minella Indo

Bet 4: 1st A Plus Tard 2nd Al Boum Photo

Bet 5: 1st Al Boum Photo 2nd Minella Indo

Bet 6: 1st Al Boum Photo 2nd A Plus Tard

As you add more selections to your bet the number of bets being placed will multiply. Four selections will see you placing 12 bets, five selections will equal a total of 20 bets and six selections will amount to 30 bets.

Tricast and Forecast Bets Stake Calculator Method

There is a simple formula for working out your stake for combination bets. With forecasts, you simply take the number of horses you wish to select and multiply it by one less than the number of selections. With tricast bets, multiply the number of selections by one less than the number of selections, and then multiply that by one less than the previous figure.

For example, if you want to make a combination tricast using four horses, you will multiply 4 x 3 x 2, which equals 24 bets. You then multiply this by your stake, e.g. €1 for a four-selection tricast comes to €24 in total.

Read More: Compare Grand National Odds for the Aintree showpiece

Forecast and Tricast Betting Payouts

Due to the relatively difficult nature of tricast and forecast bets, payouts can often be quite large, with punters potentially reaping sizeable returns from relatively small stakes.

Forecast and tricast bets are popular because of the potentially huge profits one could gain from a winning bet. If, for example, the first two or three horses in a race have large odds, then the return to the pound is likely to be a three-figure sum, or even larger.

Cheltenham Tricast Payout

The 2019 Mares' Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham is a good example of how profitable this market can be. A large number of runners and the open nature of the race meant that prices were high, and predictably the forecast and tricast returns were huge.

50/1 chance Eglantine Du Seuil battled hard to pip 66/1 stablemate Concertista by a short-head with the Gordon Elliott-trained 40/1 chance Tintangle taking third to produce a monstrous €73,711.25 payout on the tricast.

Read More: Get the very best 2023 Cheltenham Odds 

Tricast and Forecast Betting - Final Tips

If you choose to experiment with forecast and tricast bets, then remember to be patient. You might not find success straight away, but if that win comes in, you may well be walking away with a tidy sum.

You must always know how many bets you are placing within your tricast or forecast bet and therefore how many chances you have to win. Examine the size of the field as this will obviously have a major impact on the number of possible winning combinations as well. There a number of tools you can use to help you work all of this out, with many different betting calculators available online.

Consider the prices, form, and jockeys of each runner, just as you would with other horse racing betting markets. If you look at all of those factors and find that there is little to separate multiple runners - then a forecast or tricast bet could be a great option.

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