The short answer
A forecast asks you to name the first two finishers in the correct order. A tricast asks for the first three. A reverse forecast covers both possible orders for two named runners. Combination bets cover every exact order available from the selections, which makes the ticket cost multiply quickly.
The return is usually based on a declared computer dividend after the race, rather than a price that can be calculated with certainty beforehand. That is why BetOwl's forecast and tricast calculator concentrates first on the part you can know: how many lines you have bought and what they cost.
One race, several smaller races
Win betting asks one horse to get home first. Forecast betting creates another contest just behind it. The winner matters, but so does the horse chasing it across the line. A tricast adds a third layer and demands that all three arrive in the nominated order.
That precision is the appeal. It is also the price. A punter who likes three horses may feel they have made three selections. In a combination forecast, they have bought six separate ordered bets.
| Bet | Instruction | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Straight forecast | A first, B second | 1 |
| Reverse forecast | A and B to fill first and second in either order | 2 |
| Three-runner combination forecast | Any two of A, B and C to finish first and second | 6 |
| Straight tricast | A first, B second, C third | 1 |
| Four-runner combination tricast | Any three of four in exact order | 24 |
Every line is a complete bet. A £1 four-horse combination tricast is therefore a £24 ticket.
How forecast lines are counted
For a combination forecast, each selection can fill first place and each of the remaining selections can fill second. With four horses, there are four choices for first and three for second:
4 × 3 = 12 lines
The general formula is n × (n − 1), where n is the number of selected runners.
| Forecast selections | Lines | Cost at £1 per line |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | £2 |
| 3 | 6 | £6 |
| 4 | 12 | £12 |
| 5 | 20 | £20 |
| 6 | 30 | £30 |
A reverse forecast is simply the two-selection version. It contains A-B and B-A. The word reverse does not mean the finishing order can be ignored. It means both exact orders have been purchased.
How tricast lines are counted
A combination tricast keeps the first two choices and adds a third from the runners left. With five selections:
5 × 4 × 3 = 60 lines
The general formula is n × (n − 1) × (n − 2).
| Tricast selections | Lines | Cost at £1 per line |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | £6 |
| 4 | 24 | £24 |
| 5 | 60 | £60 |
| 6 | 120 | £120 |
| 7 | 210 | £210 |
This is the moment at which an innocent-looking shortlist becomes an expensive wager. Moving from four horses to six does not increase a £1 tricast ticket by half. It increases it from £24 to £120.
Stake per line or total stake
Bookmaker bet slips can present the stake in different ways. If the box means stake per line, the entered figure is multiplied by the number of lines. If it means total stake, the entered amount is divided across them.
Suppose a five-runner combination tricast has 60 lines:
| Stake instruction | Stake on each line | Total outlay |
|---|---|---|
| £1 per line | £1 | £60 |
| £30 total | £0.50 | £30 |
| £6 total | £0.10 | £6 |
The receipt should state both the line count and total cost before confirmation. Read it. A calculator is most useful before the bet is placed, when it can prevent a stake-entry mistake rather than merely explain one.
Why the dividend cannot be predicted honestly
Computer straight forecast and tricast returns are declared after the race. They reflect the applicable industry calculation or pool-style result under the operator's rules. The eventual dividend can be influenced by the runners, their prices and the finishing combination.
An online tool which promises an exact dividend from pre-race odds is offering an estimate, whether it admits it or not. BetOwl does not disguise an estimate as settlement. Our calculator can count the ticket immediately, then apply the official dividend per £1 once it has been declared.
If a £0.50 successful line receives a declared £24.80 dividend per £1, the settled return is:
£24.80 × £0.50 = £12.40
Profit or loss must then be measured against the entire ticket, not only the winning line. If the combination cost £6, the profit is £6.40. If it cost £30, the same £12.40 return leaves an overall £17.60 loss.
Straight, fixed-price and computer bets
Some operators offer fixed-price forecasts or tricasts on eligible races. Others settle the familiar computer product from the declared dividend. The bet label on the receipt is decisive.
A fixed-price tricast has accepted odds attached to the exact combination, but operator rules can move it onto a computer dividend after material withdrawals. Bet365's current tricast rules, for example, contain specific provisions for fixed-price tricasts, non-runners and races in which no tricast dividend is returned.
Never calculate a fixed-price receipt as though it were a computer bet, or vice versa. Preserve the product name and accepted terms.
What non-runners can do
Forecast and tricast non-runners do not always behave like an ordinary win single. Product rules can transform the surviving instruction.
Under Bet365's published tricast rule, one non-runner causes a tricast to be settled as a straight forecast at the computer forecast dividend. Two non-runners cause it to become an SP single on the remaining selection. Other operators can phrase the route differently, so the exact rule must be checked.
For wider withdrawal questions, the complete horse-racing settlement guide separates your own non-runner from a rival whose removal changes the market.
Dead heats and incomplete finishes
A dead heat can create more than one qualifying order. Separate dividends may be declared for qualifying computer combinations. Fixed-price products can instead divide the stake according to the number of tied horses.
If too few horses finish for a tricast dividend, an operator can use a fallback involving the first two finishers. Again, this is not arithmetic to improvise from the television picture. It is a product rule applied to the official result.
BetOwl's dead-heat calculator helps with ordinary divided-stake arithmetic, but forecast and tricast tickets should still be checked against their specialist rule.
A practical example
You select horses 2, 4, 6 and 8 in a £0.50 combination forecast. There are 4 × 3, or 12, lines. The total outlay is £6.
Horses 6 and 2 finish first and second. That order is among the 12 lines. The declared forecast dividend is £18 per £1. Your successful line carries £0.50, so the return is £9. The profit on the entire ticket is £3.
The other 11 lines lose. They are not refunded simply because the chosen quartet supplied both finishers. Combination betting buys coverage, not forgiveness.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a forecast and a reverse forecast?
A straight forecast nominates one exact first-second order. A reverse forecast covers both possible orders for two selections and therefore contains two lines.
How many lines are in a four-horse combination tricast?
There are 24: 4 × 3 × 2. At £1 per line the ticket costs £24.
Can I calculate the return before the race?
You can calculate line count and outlay. A computer dividend is declared after the result, so any precise pre-race return is only an estimate. Fixed-price products are different and should show their accepted price.
Does a winning combination always make a profit?
No. The declared return on the successful line can be smaller than the total cost of all lines purchased.
What happens when one tricast horse is a non-runner?
The product can be reduced to a forecast under the operator's rule. Check the bookmaker's terms and the exact bet type shown on the receipt.
Precision without pretending
Forecasts and tricasts reward a precise view of the race, but their expanding line count can conceal the real exposure. Count first, stake second and settle only from the rule and dividend attached to the receipt.
These are high-variance bets. A wider combination can feel safer while quietly costing far more. Keep the total outlay inside an affordable entertainment budget and visit BetOwl's responsible gambling guide if betting is no longer comfortable or controlled.