A tricast is one of the numerous bets available to place on many horse and dog races, whilst it can also be placed, in some form, on many other sports too. Here we will explain what the bet is, how it works, how you place it, what sports it is generally available on, how winnings are calculated and just about anything else we think will help you fully understand this potentially lucrative market.
What Is a Tricast?
Starting at the very beginning, it is very quick and easy to explain what a tricast is: it is a bet on who will finish first, second and third in an event. As it is most commonly placed on horse racing, from now on when we give examples or speak about the bet, we will be using the sport of kings to illustrate our point. So, quite simply, with a tricast, you must name the horse that will finish first, the horse that will finish second and the horse that will finish third in a race.
There is a related bet we will look at in a separate article where you have to name the top three but not necessarily in the right order. With a combination tricast, you simply name three horses and they must fill the first three places. However, with a tricast, or technically a “straight tricast”, the three are named in the order you think they will finish.
Naturally this is a very hard bet to land. Getting the winner of a race is often challenging enough, whilst throwing in second place as well (check out our article on forecasts) makes things even tougher. With a reverse forecast, you can at least name the first two home in either order but a tricast really ups the ante by requiring a punter to pick the horse to finish third and to get the first three home in the right order as well.
Some punters may be starting to feel this is impossible but it certainly isn’t. Admittedly, sometimes it comes pretty close, as in this race at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival when the first three home were priced at odds of 50/1, 66/1 and 40/1. However, the reward for calling those first three was £73,711.25 to a £1 stake (or £23,748.90 for those that used tote’s Trifecta) so it is certainly a bet that delivers handsome returns on occasion!
How Are Winnings Calculated?
Whilst the term tricast can be used generally to refer to any bet on the first three home (be that in a horse race, an F1 Grand Prix or the top three in the Premier League table at the end of the season), more specifically it means a horse or dog racing bet where the winnings are decided by a computer algorithm. Winnings for a forecast are declared as the “Computer Straight Forecast”, whilst for a tricast you may see “Computer Tricast” or simply “Tricast”.
Traditionally speaking this market does not use fixed odds but instead a dividend is declared after the race which shows what a punter would get back for a £1 stake on the first three. So, rather than a bettor knowing that Horse 4, Horse 6 and Horse 2 will pay at 85/1, a computer formula calculates the payout following the race.
Complex Formula
The formula is incredibly complex but the key factors that determine the payout are the odds of the horses in the top three places, the odds of the favourite and where it finishes, the odds of all the horses in the contest, draw bias and the type of race it is. The full formula is available to punters and is the same at all bookies. It is centrally declared following a race, as opposed to being set individually by each betting site.
For those accustomed to knowing what the odds are when they place their bets, this system can seem a little strange and some sites do now offer fixed odds tricasts. However, one obvious problem with this is that even in a relatively small field there are so many different possible permutations that bookies cannot, or at least do not, offer all possible combinations. Certainly, for example, in our tricast that paid out over £70,000, we do not expect any bookie offered fixed odds on the three horses that filled the first three places.
Trifecta: The Fixed Odds Form of a Tricast
An alternative to both the Computer Tricast and the fixed odds form of a tricast is the Trifecta, tote’s equivalent of a tricast. We touched on this above, noting that in the Cheltenham race where three rank outsiders came home in the top three, the Trifecta paid around £23,000. As with all of tote’s main bets, the Trifecta is a parimutuel, or pool bet. This means that winnings are determined not by the bookie, as in the case of fixed odds, nor by a fixed formula, but according to the normal rules of pool betting.
Expanding further, this means all the money staked on the tricast through the Trifecta market is subject to a deduction to cover tote’s costs and net win. The remaining sum is then divided between the people who backed the correct trio of horses in proportion with how much they wagered. In the one race we have looked at, the Trifecta paid a lot less than the Computer Tricast but this is not always the case, as we shall see.
How to Place a Tricast
Placing a tricast bet is simple enough and although the precise process may vary a little from site to site, in general it is broadly the same. Note that here we are talking about the most commonly placed tricast, one on a horse race using the Computer Tricast.
Navigate to the race you want to bet on and then among the available markets you will normally see the option to place a tricast. Select this and you will normally be presented with a grid showing all the horses listed down the left-hand side, with options to select the horse for first, second, third and any (this last option only being relevant to combination tricasts). Just make your three ordered selections and then add this to the slip.
From this point, everything is pretty standard and you just need to follow the steps you would take to confirm any bet. You must select your stake, with just one stake covering the entire bet (whereas a combination tricast, like a reverse forecast, will require multiple stakes). Then confirm the bet and wait for the action to begin.
Note that not all bookies offer tricasts and, as we explained before, this market is not available for all races. Where a race is eligible for a bet on the first three, some sites may have a fixed odds variation and others may only offer tote-based bets. Most of the best racing sites around do offer the Computer Tricast though… so if your bookie of choice doesn’t, be sure to try another one!
What Races Is a Tricast Offered On?
When it comes to greyhound racing you will find that tricasts are available on the majority of races. This is because most bookmakers offer a tricast in a race with six or more runners and the majority of contests, certainly barring any with non-runners, see six dogs line up.
When it comes to horse racing the general rule is that tricasts will be offered (and a Computer Tricast dividend declared) in handicap races with at least eight horses declared and where at least six of those actually run. Some larger races may also have a Computer Tricast even if they do not meet these criteria. Equally not all bookies will offer the bet on all races that do meet them, but an official Computer Tricast will be declared for the settlement of bets placed with those sites that did.
Dead Heats & Other Rules of Note
The rules for tricasts are shown at individual bookies and whilst many are simple and standardised, some may be more complex and/or vary between different sites. One factor that can certainly confuse or complicate matters is a dead heat, be that for first, second, or third (or even for more than one of those places). Typically separate dividends are declared for each successful tricast combination, with these being lower than they would have been had just three horses finished solely in the top three.
Non Runners
When it comes to non-runners there tends to be a little more variation between bookies so it pays to check. You can either see the specific rules relating to tricasts (or non-runners) or check with the site’s customer service team. In general though, where one of your three picks is a non-runner, sites will either simply void the bet altogether, or allow it to run as a forecast bet on the remaining selections. In the unlikely event that two of your three selections are non-runners then the bet again will be void and your stake returned, though some sites may let the remaining selection stand as a single.
Non-runners can also be an issue where they mean the field size is reduced such that a Computer Tricast is not declared. In this situation, the bet will normally stand as a straight forecast on the first two of your selections. Should only one horse finish the race tricasts with that horse selected in first will be settled as successful singles by some bookies but others may void. There are a number of other strange and unlikely scenarios but once again, typically bets will either be voided or allowed to stand on whatever element of the wager is intact.
What Sports Can I Bet on with a Tricast?
A tricast in the specific sense that we are largely dealing with in this feature can only be made on horse or dog races. These are the only events for which a Computer Tricast payout is calculated. However, in the broader sense of a tricast being a bet on the first three in the right order, the market is more widely available.
F1 – “Name the First Three”
The most obvious application of such a market is in other race-based sports and you may see bookies offering tricasts on Formula 1, Formula E, Moto GP and other such events. Bets like these will be offered as fixed odds tricasts, rather than using a formula based on who fills the top three spots. They are also probably not going to be listed or marketed as tricasts but might be found under specials or as some form of self-descriptive market such as “Name the first three”.
Football – Top Three Teams
This style of fixed odds tricast is not limited to motorsports and the like though and events that have a league, be they football, rugby, or anything else, sometimes have a tricast. For example, betting on the top three teams in the Premier League or La Liga, or, slightly different but related, backing the bottom three (in the correct order), which could also be viewed as a tricast of sorts.
Tricast Tips
As the Dawn Run Novices’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival showed us, landing a tricast can be incredibly rewarding. But it can also be exceptionally hard. A quick look back at results shows us that it is far from uncommon for at least one serious outsider to make the top three. Sometimes two dark horses will make the frame, whilst, as we know, even three rank outsiders filling the first three places is not unheard of.
Do Your Research
Given this it might be easy to write off the Tricast but we feel that would be foolish given that it is a fun bet with the potential for huge returns. In truth, there are no simple tips we can offer that will magically enable you to land this bet on a regular basis – if only it was that easy! Ultimately all the same research, study and analysis that you would put into trying to pick a winner is going to be necessary… and then some.
Market Leaders
The most obvious use of a tricast is when there are very firm market leaders. If three horses are well clear of the field in terms of their class and form then this could be a good time to opt for this wager – you just need to decide what order you think they will finish in. Equally, it can also be a good bet where there are just one or two horses who you feel confident about. For example, if there is an odds-on favourite, a contender at 2/1 and the field is 10/1 bar, then in theory, all you have to do is decide which horse is the best of the rest.
Of course, things are never that straightforward and upsets will happen but such scenarios certainly give you a fighting chance of landing a tricast winner. That said, where picking the first three seems relatively easy, the chances are that the Computer Tricast dividend will be relatively small should your bet win. A 1-2-3priced at 4/5, evens and 3/1 certainly won’t return anything like £73k, that is for sure!
Betting on the Favourites
Ultimately, it all comes down to trying to find value, as virtually all punting does. Given this, and the often-high returns, many people favour an approach of taking on the favourite when it comes to a tricast. As a general rule, any beaten favourite tends to give the dividend a nice boost and so this is definitely worth considering when you think the jolly can be opposed.
Is the Tricast Better Than a Trifecta?
Fixed odds variants of a top three bet are something of a newer invention. They are not available with most bookies and nor can all combinations of three runners be backed (as there are so many possible options bookies only offer odds on the main contenders). As such, when comparing the different methods of backing a 1-2-3, attention has focussed on the debate over whether a tricast or a tote Trifecta offers the bigger returns.
The simple answer is that it varies. On some bets, one option will pay out more and on others, the alternative bet will yield a bigger net win. In truth, for most punters it will not make a huge difference, simply because your average gambler does not place too many such wagers anyway. What’s more, of the small number they place, only a small proportion will actually win, which is the only time the size of the payout matters.
Those that do place a lot of this type of bet are advised to research the matter more thoroughly than we have the scope for here. It is a complex issue, with many variables, and some believe there are certain conditions where one type of bet is most likely (but still not totally assured) to have better effective odds and other situations where the alternative will probably yield a better net win.
However, for an average punter who places the occasional tricast, the question remains, if they have to pick just one, either the Computer Tricast or the pool-based Trifecta, which should they opt for? Which, on average, will bring the biggest net win in the long term? Well, the consensus among those who have looked into the issue in far greater detail than us seems to be that the Trifecta is actually the way to go.
Dividends Compared
Whilst one would need to compare hundreds, or more probably many thousands of races, to gain anything approaching a worthwhile sample size, we feel there is still some merit in a simple comparison between the payouts these two versions of the same bet have generated. We compared the results of five races picked at random from the week commencing 21st March 2022 and the Computer Tricast and Trifecta dividends can be seen in the table below.
| Race | Tricast Payout | Trifecta Payout | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/3/22 – 13.55 | £579.99 | £685.90 | Trifecta +£105.91 |
| 24/3/22 – 15.31 | £498.80 | £729.70 | Trifecta +£230.90 |
| 24/3/22 – 16.05 | £1,726.11 | £1,559.00 | Tricast +£167.11 |
| 24/3/22 – 16.35 | £2,145.12 | £3,404.10 | Trifecta +£1,258.98 |
| 24/3/22 – 15.40 | £232.39 | £216.40 | Tricast +£15.99 |
| 24/3/22 – 15.47 | £110.39 | £113.20 | Trifecta +£2.81 |
| 24/3/22 – 15.55* | €248.49 | €233.90 | Trifecta €14.59 |
| 24/3/22 – 16.25* | €161.89 | €67.70 | Trifecta +€94.19 |
| 23/3/22 – 15.40 | £122.60 | £179.70 | Tricast +£57.10 |
| 23/3/22 – 14.45 | £99.17 | £76.90 | Tricast +£22.27 |
NB – Races marked with an asterisk were run in Ireland and payments were made in Euros. Though this somewhat muddies the comparison the broad picture remains the same.
As we can see from the table above, the Trifecta delivers a bigger payout on six out of 10 races. This is broadly consistent with similar comparisons we have made ourselves previously and also with much larger studies done by others. Small sample though it may be, it goes some way to affirming what we believe to the opinion of most experts: the Trifecta delivers the best results in general.
Some may look at these results and feel that six is only one more than the five one might expect if the two types of bet were just as good as each other. Viewed another way, however, that can be seen as delivering better results either 20% of the time, or even 50% (according to how you classify the stats).
Perhaps more tellingly, in total, had you somehow had the incredible luck to have landed all 10 of the above bets, using the Trifecta option would have returned around £7,500 from a £1 stake (per race). The tricast, in contrast, would have been under £6,000. So the former paid around 25% more over the 10 bets.
Trifecta Pays More
This big difference is because, when the Trifecta pays more, it tends to pay a lot more, whereas the roles are reversed there is not generally too much in it. Our small sample of 10 races above only illustrates this point quite weakly but past research we have carried out painted the same picture but far more starkly.
We do not claim such a comparison to be conclusive, but given that it backs up what we already expected, we feel it is safe to say that for most punters, most of the time, the Trifecta is the way to go if you want to back a 1-2-3 outcome in a horse race.