A non-runner in horse racing is a horse that was entered or expected to take part in a race but is withdrawn and does not start. If you have already placed a bet on that horse, the effect on your wager depends on the type of bet and the applicable betting rules.
For a standard single bet, a selection that is officially declared a non-runner is generally void, meaning your original stake is returned. With multiples, the non-runner is generally removed from the calculation, allowing the remaining selections to continue.
Withdrawals can also affect bets placed on other horses in the same race. In certain circumstances, this can involve a Rule 4 deduction or changes to applicable place terms.
If you are new to racing and want to understand singles, each-way bets and multiples before looking at non-runner rules, our How to Bet on Horse Racing guide provides a broader introduction to the main horse racing bet types.
What Is a Non-Runner in Horse Racing?
A non-runner is a horse that does not participate in a race despite previously being entered or listed to run.
Horses can be withdrawn for many reasons. These might include a veterinary issue, unsuitable ground, travel problems, a trainer’s decision or an issue shortly before the start.
Once a horse is officially declared a non-runner, the betting market can be updated to reflect the reduced field.
Racecards and betting markets are also updated as runner information changes. Our guide to How to read a horse racing racecard explains the other numbers, abbreviations, form figures and information you might see alongside each runner.
What Happens If Your Horse Is a Non-Runner?
If the horse you backed in a standard single is officially declared a non-runner, the bet is generally void and your original stake is returned, subject to the applicable rules.
For example:
Selection: Silver Star
Stake: £10
Status: Non-runner
Settlement: Void
Stake returned: £10
Profit: £0
The £10 returned is not a £10 profit. You are simply receiving your original stake back because the selection did not participate.
This is one of several situations in which a wager can be voided. Our guide to What is a void bet? explains what a void bet means and how void selections can affect singles and multiples across sports betting.
Do You Get Your Stake Back If a Horse Is a Non-Runner?
For a standard single, generally yes.
Suppose you place £20 on a horse to win and it is withdrawn before the race.
If the horse is officially declared a non-runner, your £20 wager would generally be void and the £20 stake returned, subject to the applicable betting rules.
You have not won or lost the wager because your selection did not participate.
This differs from a horse starting the race but failing to finish, which is an important distinction when understanding non-runner rules.
What Happens to a Multiple If One Horse Is a Non-Runner?
Non-runners are handled differently when they form part of a multiple or accumulator.
The non-runner selection is generally removed from the calculation or effectively treated at decimal odds of 1.00, subject to the applicable rules. The other selections can then continue.
Imagine a three-selection multiple containing:
Horse A – 3.00
Horse B – 4.00
Horse C – 2.00
Originally, the combined odds would be:
3.00 × 4.00 × 2.00 = 24.00
Now suppose Horse B is declared a non-runner.
The revised calculation would effectively become:
3.00 × 1.00 × 2.00 = 6.00
If Horse A and Horse C both win, a £10 stake would therefore produce a potential total return of £60 under this simplified example, subject to the applicable rules.
The non-runner does not count as a winning 4.00 selection. Instead, it is removed from the effective calculation.
Does a Non-Runner Turn an Accumulator Into a Smaller Multiple?
Generally, this is the practical effect.
For example, a four-selection accumulator with one non-runner would generally continue as an effective treble.
A treble with one non-runner would generally become an effective double.
If you placed a double and one selection was declared a non-runner, the remaining selection would generally continue as an effective single.
The potential return changes because the odds attached to the non-runner no longer contribute to the combined price.
What If Every Selection in a Multiple Is a Non-Runner?
If every selection in a multiple is void because all the selected horses are declared non-runners, the original stake would generally be returned.
For example:
Stake: £10 double
Horse A: Non-runner
Horse B: Non-runner
With both selections void, there are no active selections left in the multiple. The £10 stake would therefore generally be returned.
Again, the returned £10 is the original stake rather than profit from a winning bet.
What Happens to an SP Bet If the Horse Is a Non-Runner?
SP stands for Starting Price, which is the official price assigned to a runner when a race starts.
If you selected a horse at SP but it is officially declared a non-runner, a standard single would generally be void and the stake returned.
A horse that does not start does not have a normal SP wager settled as though it had participated.
If you are unfamiliar with the difference between selecting SP and accepting an earlier fixed price, our guide to What is Starting Price (SP)? explains when the Starting Price is established and how it can differ from the odds available earlier.
What Happens to a Fixed-Price Bet If the Horse Is a Non-Runner?
Suppose you take a fixed price of 5/1 on Silver Star several hours before a race.
Silver Star is subsequently withdrawn and officially declared a non-runner.
Your standard single selection would generally be void, meaning your original stake is returned rather than the wager being settled as a win or loss.
However, the withdrawal of Silver Star could also affect bets that other people have placed on the remaining horses.
This is where Rule 4 can become relevant.
What Is Rule 4 in Horse Racing?
Rule 4 is a mechanism that can adjust returns from certain fixed-price horse racing bets when a runner is withdrawn after a wager has been placed.
Imagine you accept 5/1 about a horse in a race that also contains a strong favourite.
The strong favourite is then withdrawn.
Removing one of the leading runners changes the composition of the race and can result in the odds of the remaining horses becoming shorter.
Under applicable circumstances, a Rule 4 deduction can therefore be made from returns on eligible bets placed before the withdrawal.
Rule 4 should not be thought of as a penalty for the bettor. It is an adjustment designed to account for a material change to the betting market after a horse is withdrawn.
Importantly, a Rule 4 deduction does not automatically apply every time there is a non-runner.
Why Does Rule 4 Exist?
Consider a simplified example involving two points in time.
You take 5/1 about Silver Star.
A strongly fancied rival is then withdrawn from the race.
After the market is adjusted, Silver Star might now be priced at 3/1.
Your original 5/1 price was offered when Silver Star was expected to compete against the withdrawn horse. The race now has a different field.
Where applicable, Rule 4 allows the original return to be adjusted to account for that change.
The exact treatment depends on the circumstances and relevant betting rules.
How Does a Rule 4 Deduction Work?
A Rule 4 deduction is based on the price of the withdrawn horse under the applicable rules.
Generally, the withdrawal of a shorter-priced horse has the potential to produce a larger deduction than the withdrawal of a long-priced outsider.
For a simple illustrative example, suppose a winning wager would otherwise produce a £60 return. If an applicable deduction reduced that return by £10, the adjusted return would be £50.
The actual calculation depends on the relevant Rule 4 scale and circumstances, so bettors should check the applicable rules rather than assume a particular deduction will apply.
Does Rule 4 Apply to Every Non-Runner?
No.
Whether a Rule 4 deduction applies can depend on factors including when the wager was placed, when the horse was withdrawn, the withdrawn runner’s price and the type of price taken.
The important distinction is that the horse you selected becoming a non-runner generally makes that selection void.
Rule 4 instead concerns how a withdrawal can potentially affect certain wagers that were placed on other runners before the field changed.
Does Rule 4 Apply to Starting Price Bets?
Starting Price works differently from taking an earlier fixed price because SP is established when the race begins.
A withdrawal that occurs before the race can therefore already be reflected in the field and market used to establish the eventual Starting Prices.
By contrast, someone who accepted a fixed price before a subsequent
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