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Forecast bet calculator and tricast calculator
A forecast picks the first two home, and a tricast picks the first three. This forecast bet calculator also works as a tricast calculator. It shows how many bets you're placing, the total stake, and the return from the declared dividend, such as the CSF, or a rough estimate from the horses' prices.
How the forecast bet calculator uses the CSF or an estimate
Forecasts and tricasts don't pay at the horses' odds. They pay a dividend declared after the race, called the computer straight forecast (CSF) or the tricast dividend, per £1 staked. If you know the dividend, enter it for an exact return.
Leave the dividend blank and the calculator estimates a fair dividend from the win prices of the horses that filled the places. Real dividends usually come in lower, because they include a margin. Use the estimate as a best case.
Straight forecast, reverse forecast, tricast and combination bets
| Bet | You pick | Bets | Wins if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight forecast | 2 horses | 1 | They finish 1st and 2nd in the order you picked |
| Reverse forecast | 2 horses | 2 | They finish 1st and 2nd in either order |
| Combination forecast | 3 or more | n × (n − 1) | Any two of them finish 1st and 2nd |
| Tricast | 3 horses | 1 | They finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in your order |
| Combination tricast | 3 or more | n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) | Any three of them finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd |
A reverse forecast is the same as a combination forecast on two horses. Only one line of any forecast or tricast can win, because only one order happens.
What combination forecasts and tricasts cost at £1 a line
| Selections | Combination forecast bets | Cost | Combination tricast bets | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | £6.00 | 6 | £6.00 |
| 4 | 12 | £12.00 | 24 | £24.00 |
| 5 | 20 | £20.00 | 60 | £60.00 |
| 6 | 30 | £30.00 | 120 | £120.00 |
The number of bets climbs fast. Six selections in a combination tricast is 120 bets, and only one of them can win. The calculator above works as a combination forecast calculator for up to eight selections, and does the same for combination tricasts.
How the CSF and tricast dividend are worked out
The computer straight forecast is worked out after the race from the starting prices of the first two home and the number of runners. Bookmakers use it to settle forecasts. The tricast dividend works the same way for three horses. Some bookmakers also offer Tote dividends, which come from the pool instead.
As a guide, a 3/1 winner with a 5/1 second has a fair forecast dividend of about £18.00 per £1. The declared CSF on a race like that is usually a bit lower.
Backing a horse to place instead? Use the each way calculator.Each way calculator →Related calculators
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Questions people ask
What is a reverse forecast?
Two straight forecasts on the same two horses, one in each order. It costs two stakes and wins if they finish first and second either way round.
What is the difference between a forecast and a tricast?
A forecast needs the first two home. A tricast needs the first three. Tricasts pay much more, because they're much harder to land.
What does CSF mean?
Computer straight forecast. It's the dividend bookmakers declare after a race to settle forecast bets, worked out from the starting prices of the first two and the size of the field.
How many bets is a combination tricast with 4 selections?
24. That's 4 × 3 × 2, every possible order of three horses from your four.