What is Rule 4?
Rule 4 is the Tattersalls rule that reduces winning bets when a horse is withdrawn after the market has formed and there isn't time to form a new one. Without the withdrawn horse the race is easier to win, so the prices you took were bigger than they should have been. The deduction is taken in pence in the pound from your winnings, never your stake, and it depends on the withdrawn horse's price at the time.
How to calculate a Rule 4 deduction
- Find the withdrawn horse's price in the table below and read the deduction.
- Work out your winnings without the deduction (stake x fractional odds).
- Take the deduction off the winnings: a 20p deduction keeps 80p of every pound won.
- Add your stake back for the total return.
£10 at 4/1 with a 25p deduction: winnings of £40 become £30, so the return is £40 instead of £50. When more than one horse is withdrawn, the deductions are added together, up to the maximum.
Rule 4 on the big festival races
Late withdrawals are common in big fields, which is why Rule 4 comes up so often at the Cheltenham Festival and in the Grand National. Ante-post bets struck before the final declarations are generally settled without Rule 4, but you lose the stake if your horse doesn't run unless you took non-runner no bet terms; our Cheltenham betting guide compares the options.