Guides · 2026-11-05 · 18+
Horse racing settlement rules: Rule 4, dead heats, BOG and non-runners
Most racing bets settle cleanly: your horse wins or it does not. The pain — and the maths — lives in the edge cases: a late withdrawal, a photo-finish tie, an early price versus starting price. This guide covers the four rules that show up on almost every UK slip.
1. Rule 4 (Tattersalls)
When a horse is withdrawn after you have taken an early or board price, and the market does not fully reform, bookmakers apply Rule 4. They deduct a fixed number of pence in the £ from winnings (never from stake), based on the withdrawn horse's price. Several withdrawals stack, capped at 75p.
Example
£10 at 5/1, a 5/2 shot withdrawn → 25p Rule 4. Profit falls from £50 to £37.50; return £47.50. Run the numbers →
2. Dead heats
If runners tie for a win or place you are paid on, your stake is shared across the tied horses (adjusted for how many places they occupy), then full odds are paid on the reduced stake. A two-way dead heat for first on £10 at 6/1 returns £35, not £70 and not £0. Dead heat calculator →
3. Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)
Where a bookmaker offers BOG, you get the better of your early price and the starting price. Rule 4 can still reduce the early price before that comparison. BOG is a promo, not a Tattersalls rule — it comes and goes by sport and day.
4. Non-runners
A non-runner voids that selection. Singles are refunded. Accumulators and full-cover multiples usually continue with that leg at odds 1.0 (one fold smaller). Each-way: both parts void on that runner.
Bookmaker quirks
Lucky bonuses, EW defaults and R4 notes for William Hill, Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Coral live in the rules library — cited and dated, and wired into calculator Bonus Packs.
18+ only. Settlement follows your operator's rules on the day. Please gamble responsibly: BeGambleAware.org.
FAQs
Does Rule 4 apply to ante-post?
Ante-post often has different non-runner rules (bets stand, or special NRNB promos). Classic day-of-race Rule 4 is about early/board prices after a late withdrawal.
Is a dead heat a winner?
For win-market settlement you are a part-winner: stake is divided, then paid at full odds. You are not paid as an outright sole winner.
Does BOG cancel Rule 4?
No. BOG compares prices after any Rule 4 deduction on the early price.
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