What Is A Forecast Bet

What Is A Forecast Bet?

A Forecast bet is another form of multiple bet that requires bettors to predict the top two finishers in an event. It’s a very popular bet within the horse racing industry. Predicting the top two finishers and their order is no easy task which is why the potential rewards from Forecast bets can be very substantial.

In this article, you’ll learn how a Forecast bet works, how to place one, the different Forecast bet variations and how to calculate potential returns.

How Does A Forecast Bet Work?

By placing a Forecast bet , you are effectively placing two bets rolled into one. With a Straight Forecast, you need to bet on which horse will finish first and which one will finish second.  A Forecast bet can only be placed on one race and can’t be spread across different races.

Similar to a Tricast bet, you only pay the total stake that you put on the Straight Forecast bet. Your stake doesn’t multiply as it would if you were to do a Trixie bet.

Forecast bets can be placed on any race that has a minimum of three runners. If there are non-runners and there are less than three competitors, your Forecast bet will be voided.

Also, if there is only one competitor that finishes a race, no Forecast dividend will be declared. Should this happen and you had the winner in your Forecast, your bet will settle as a winning single using a starting price.  Any other Forecast bets will be void.

Types Of Forecast Bets

There are three main types of Forecast bets that are the most popular: Straight Forecast, Reverse Forecast and Combination Forecast.

There’s also other variations of Forecast bets available to bettors: Straight Forecast Double, Straight Forecast Treble, Reverse Forecast Double, Reverse Forecast Treble, Combination Forecast Double and Combination Forecast Treble.  These variations are more suited to experienced bettors so novice bettors should probably avoid pacing these until they are confident in what they are doing.

Let’s cover off the main Forecast Bets and then some of the less popular Forecast combinations:

Straight Forecast Bet

• This is the simpler of the Forecast bets. You need to predict the first two horses to finish the race in the correct order.  The combination of your selection has to be correct or the bet will lose.

Reverse Forecast

• With this bet you need to pick the horses you believe will finish in the top two. It is basically two Straight Forecast bets combined into one and therefore, your stake is doubled.  However, unlike the Straight Forecast, the order they finish in doesn’t matter provided they are the first two past the post.

Combination Forecast

• You need to select a minimum of three competitors for this bet. As with the Reverse Forecast, you need two of your choices to finish in the top two. This is where your stakes can ramp up because you’re now placing a minimum of three Straight Forecasts into one bet. The combinations and maths for this will be explained a little further on.

Exacta Forecast

• The Exacta Forecast is the same as a Straight Forecast.  The only difference is that an Exacta Forecast is funded by the Tote. This means that the total prize fund is driven by the stakes placed on the Exacta market.  After the Tote has deducted costs, the remainder of the pot is shared amongst any winners proportionately to the stake they placed.

• IMPORTANT – The Tote will rollover to the next qualifying event if there is no winner.  Therefore, it’s important to know when the next qualifying event will be as the prize pot will be bigger.

Straight Forecast Double

• In essence, you are placing two Straight Forecast bets within one bet. So you will be betting on Horse A to finish first and Horse B to finish second in one race and Horse A to finish first and Horse B to finish second in a different race. In terms of stakes, it’s the same as a Straight Forecast bet in that you only pay one stake for the first of your Doubles bets.  If the first Forecast Double wins, the returns are then placed on the second Forecast Double bet.  If your first race isn’t successful, the rest of your bet is then void.

Straight Forecast Treble

• Very similar to the Straight Forecast Double but you are betting on three races this time. Again, your selections must finish first and second in the correct order.  As with the Forecast Double, it’s a single stake and all your bets must come in to get any returns.

Reverse Forecast Double

• This bet is made up of four doubles bets. It’s pretty much a combination of the Reverse Forecast and the Straight Forecast Double. Your initial stake quadruples so a stake of £1 on this bet will cost you £4 to place. Here’s an example of how the bets are made up:

1. Race 1 – 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 – 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D
2. Race 1 - 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 - 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C
3. Race 1 - 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 - 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D
4. Race 1 - 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 - 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C

Reverse Forecast Treble

The same as the Reverse Forecast Double but this time the total stake is multiplied by eight and there are eight permutations as follows:

1. Race 1 – 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 – 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 – Horse E, 2nd Horse F
2. Race 1 – 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 – 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 – 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F
   
3. Race 1 – 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 – 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 – 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E
   
4. Race 1 – 1st Horse A, 2nd Horse B; Race 2 – 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 – 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E
   
5. Race 1 – 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 – 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 – 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F
   
6. Race 1 – 1st Horse B 2nd Horse A; Race 2 – 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 – 1st Horse E, 2nd Horse F
   
7. Race 1 – 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 – 1st Horse C, 2nd Horse D; Race 3 – 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E
   
8. Race 1 – 1st Horse B, 2nd Horse A; Race 2 – 1st Horse D, 2nd Horse C; Race 3 – 1st Horse F, 2nd Horse E
   

How To Place A Forecast Bet

Let’s have a look at the mechanics of the Forecast bets and how to place them at the bookies.

Straight Forecast Bet

The Straight Forecast is one of the simpler multiple bets to place where you need to pick the first two finishers in the race, in the correct order.

Looking at the 4.40pm at Chepstow, you’ve done your research and the analysis suggests the clear favourite is going to be tough to beat. However, the form of another horse catches your eye and it has one of your favourite jockeys riding it so you’re quite confident it will be in the mix at the end of the race.

Based on your research, you decide to back Hey Big Spender at odds of 2.75 (7/4) to win and Desert Footsteps at odds of 7 (6/1) to finish second. So, how do you place the bet. First thing to do is find the Forecast market. With Bet365 there is a separate tab for Forecast bets (highlighted below). Simply then click on your first and second choices and click Add to Bet Slip.

Once you have clicked Add to Bet Slip, you are shown the below details where you enter your stake and then Place Bet.  It’s at this point that you’ll see the potential returns based on your stake.

It’s worth noting that the layout can differ from bookie to bookie but the Forecast bet option will be there.  Some bookies will show the normal racecard and when you pick two selections, the Forecast option appears in the betslip.

Reverse Forecast Bet

Based on the same race, with a Reverse Forecast bet you are still choosing Hey Big Spender and Desert Footsteps.  This time you are choosing them to both finish in the top two but in either order.

So, this time instead of choosing first and second, you need to click both horses in the ‘Any’ column and click Add to Bet Slip as before.

After you click Add to Bet Slip, you will notice there is a slight difference to the layout.

First thing you will notice is your stake is doubled and there are no odds showing. If you click on the ‘Show Odds’ link highlighted, you will be given a breakdown of your potential returns from the two winning combinations available.

Please Note – The bet slip says Combination Forecast.  Whilst technically it is a bet with a combination, it is actually a Reverse Forecast.  Most bookies will display it as a Reverse Forecast in their betslips.

Combination Forecast Bet

Sticking with the 4.40pm Chepstow race, how do you place a Combination Forecast bet? Pretty much the same as the Reverse Forecast but this time you are going to choose three horses.  Remember though, this time your stakes are multiplied by six due to the combination of bets you are covering. You’ll need 2 out of three horses selected to finish first and second in any order to get any returns.

As with the Reverse Forecast, by clicking on the ‘Show Odds’ link in your betslip, you are presented with details of what combinations can provide you with returns. These can be seen below:

How To Calculate A Forecast Bet

This isn’t as straight forward as you might think as not all bookies offer fixed price odds on Forecast bets and those that do use computer generated algorithms.  A lot of them use the Starting Price (SP) which means any dividends aren’t declared until after the race finishes. Therefore, bettors don’t know what returns they might expect if they’re successful. This is often the case with some other multiple bet types and in particular, Trixie Bet calculations are seriously complex and computer generated.  You can learn a bit more about the SP in our Starting Price article.

Whilst Bet365 are very good at providing odds so we can see our returns, it’s not always possible to know so let’s cover the basics of the three main forecast bets using our example from the 4.40pm at Chepstow:

Straight Forecast

• Stake x Forecast Odds = Return

• Hey Big Spender Wins & Desert Footsteps is second

• £1 stake x 12.58 (forecast odds) = £12.58 Returns - £1 Stake = £11.58 Profit

Reverse Forecast

• Stake x Forecast Odds (for one of the winning combinations) = Returns – Original Stake = Profit
• Desert Footsteps Wins & Hey Big Spender is second - £1 (Stake) x 18.31 (Forecast Odds) = £18.31 Returns - £2 Stake = £16.31 Profit
  
• Hey Big Spender Wins & Desert Footsteps is second - £1 (Stake) x 13.88 (Forecast Odds) = £13.88 Returns - £2 Stake = £11.88 Profit
  

Combination Forecast

• Stake x Forecast Odds (for one of the winning combinations) = Returns – Original Stake = Profit
• Maverick Style Wins & Desert Footsteps is second - £1 (Stake) x 36.51 (Forecast Odds) = £36.51 Returns – £6 Stake = £30.51 Profit (there are 5 other combinations that will return a profit)
  

Quite a few of the Bookies offer their own calculators for Forecast bets. 

What Sports Can You Use A Forecast Bet On?

Forecast bets can be used in many sports but are mainly used in horse racing and greyhound racing.  As mentioned, due to the size of the races with horses and the complexity of the maths, a lot of Forecast bets don’t offer fixed odds. 

Other sports however, tend to offer fixed odds for Forecast and Tricast bets.  Here’s some of the sports you can place Forecast bets on:

• Golf – Bookies tend to offer Straight & Reverse Forecasts in most tournaments and definitely in the most prestigious events; the Masters, the Open Championship, the U.S. Open & the PGA Championship.
• Football – A lot of bookmakers will offer Straight & Reverse Forecast bets in different leagues and cups such as the Premier League and the FA Cup. They will also offer these in big football tournaments like the World Cup.
  
• Formula 1 – Again, some bookies offer Straight & Forecasts in this sport.
  
• Tennis – similar to Golf, Forecast bets are usually available on Grand Slam tournaments. A Reverse Forecast in Tennis would effectively be a bet for name the finalists.
  
• Rugby – As with most of these, bookies give this offering for major tournaments.
  

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Forecast Bets

Advantages

• Big Rewards: Picking a race winner is difficult enough but predicting who will finish first and second is even harder. That’s why Forecast odds are usually enhanced and provide the potential to get substantially higher returns.
• Engaging: Trying to predict the top finishers in a certain order is another level up from just predicting winners and can provide bettors with an added edge of excitement.
  
• Skills Diversity: Not only do Forecast bets offer another option within your betting strategy, but they can also enhance your knowledge and skills. This can help with finding good opportunities and value and offer the potential for more wins.
  
• BOG: A lot of bookmakers now offer Best Odds Guaranteed. BOG offers apply to Forecast bets too. This can offer the potential for increased returns. Learn more about this in our Best Odds Guaranteed Article. 
  

Disadvantages

• Difficulty: Whilst the potential rewards can be great, it is so much more difficult to predict the correct outcomes for a Forecast bet.
• Cost: Depending on the type of Forecast bets you do, the stakes can easily ramp up quickly. Don’t forget, a Combination Forecast needs six times the stake that a Straight Forecast needs.
  
• Probability: You can spend hours studying form and analysing the markets to enhance your knowledge and chance. However, the uncertainty surrounding the large fields in horse racing make the chances of winning Forecast bets pretty low.
  

Summary

Forecast bets aren’t for the faint hearted.  To stand any chance of success with them, you need to do some research and understand what you are doing.  They aren’t recommended for novice bettors.  However, once you understand them, they can be a great source of fun and potentially very rewarding.

Whilst there are some professional gamblers who have success by targeting certain races for Forecast betting, they aren’t considered to be a reliable way to make long term profits. This is evident in the high odds offered by the bookies to land a result.

Depending on the type of Forecast bet you are doing, it’s easy to forget how quickly the stakes can ramp up so it’s important to work out your budget and stick to it.