What Is Rule 4? (Explained!)

I was chatting to my friend the other day about horse racing and he said that he still made money on a race when his chosen horse was announced as a non-runner because of something called a ‘rule 4’.

I was surprised that he was able to still make money despite his horse not racing, so I decided to research this rule.

So, what actually is rule 4 in horse betting?

Rule 4 is a rule that applies to British horseracing that essentially allows a deduction to be taken from the pay-out to a winning racehorse if a horse is withdrawn after the final declaration is made by the trainers. Rule 4 is a way of protecting bookmakers if the horse they are betting on is withdrawn abruptly.

In this article we’ll explore some other questions you may have about rule 4 and how it related to horse racing and betting.

For example, how it works, how it is calculated, why a horse might withdraw,

So, if you’d like to find out more about rule 4 then keep reading!

How does rule 4 work in horse racing?

As mentioned, rule 4 applies when a horse is withdrawn after a final declaration has been made.

But what does this actually mean and how does rule 4 work?

Well, a final declaration is an action taken by trainers as a way of ensuring to potential buyers or bookmakers that the horse will definitely be competing in the upcoming race in question.

Final declaration deadlines differ per event, but for all Flat races, big jump races and Sunday events, final declarations must be made prior to 10am two days before the race commences.

Final declarations can be made 1 day prior to all other jump races.

However, on the odd occasion, a horse who was scheduled to run (final declaration had been made) might be withdrawn from the event at the last minute – classifying them as a non-runner.

Rule 4 deductions would then be applied to all the bets occurring between the time of final declarations and bookmakers adjusting the odds to reflect the dynamic shift of the race.

Why does rule 4 exist?

As briefly mentioned, rule 4 exists as a way to protect bookmakers and betters if a horse is withdrawn from a race after a final declaration has been made.

In the event that a non-runner is announced at the last minute before a race commences, bookmaker’s odds may not be representative of their actual selection odds because the other horses now have less competitors or potentially easier competitors (especially if the non-runner was a favourite to win).

When this happens, rule 4 deductions can be taken from winning bets to be as fair to bookies as possible.

How is rule 4 calculated?

A key point to note when discussing rule 4 deductions is that they can vary in size or amount.

For example, the amount deducted for rule 4 is entirely dependent on the price that the non-runner was trading at prior to withdrawing from the race.

The reason for this is because a non-runner can sometimes be a predicted favorite to win, and so the odds of other horses winning after the favorite withdraws are increased exponentially.

There are various charts that have been published that help to decipher the rule 4 deductions that can be applied to a race depending on the outcome of the race (e.g., if the bookie’s second favorite wins after the favorite withdraws).

But it should be noted that the highest possible deductions that can be made are 90% of the winnings – and this is based on exceptional circumstances and is very rarely applied.

Why would a horse withdraw after final declarations?

At this point, you might be wondering, why would a horse withdraw at the last minute, especially after final declarations have been made?

There are many reasons why a horse might become a non-runner and withdraw from an event very close to the start time, even one which is a favorite to win.

One main reason, however, is due to injury.

If a horse is injured, it simply cannot compete and should rest.

This is because competing in a high-speed or high-intensity race can cause further damage to the injury and may cause the horse distress.

Does rule 4 apply to starting price?

Rule 4 can apply to starting price (the price that a horse is valued at the point of starting the race) if a horse is withdrawn immediately before commencing the race.

This is because when this happens, there is often not enough time for the bookmakers to create a new market, so deductions have to be taken from the starting price.

Does rule 4 apply if more than 1 horse withdraws?

So far, we have discussed rule 4 in terms of only 1 horse becoming a non-runner through withdrawing after final declarations.

But what would happen if more than 1 horse withdraws from the same race, would rule 4 still apply then?

The answer to this question is, yes, rule 4 would still apply in this instance.

The rule 4 committee who set the official rules agree that if two (or more) horses are withdrawn from the same race after final declarations are made, then rule 4 deductions are applicable, however they cannot exceed 90 pence in the pound.

In conclusion, this article has discussed what rule 4 is.

We found that it is a rule within British horse-racing that allows deductions to be taken from the winning horse’s pay out if a horse is withdrawn from the event at short notice (after final declarations have been made).

Rule 4 protects the bookmakers in this instant as it can create an unfair advantage for the remaining horses within an event if one or more horses withdraw.

Rule 4 still applies if more than 1 horse withdraws, however the amount deducted cannot exceed 90%.

I hope this article has been helpful in answering all your questions about rule 4!