Dead heats and Rule 4
These are settlement rules, not prices. A dead heat splits the stake. A Rule 4 cuts the winnings when a runner comes out after the market is formed. Neither changes the original odds on the ticket.
Dead heat
Divide the stake by how many dead-heated, then pay the original odds on that slice. The rest of the stake is lost. Two horses dead-heating for first: a £10 win at 4/1 is settled as £5 at 4/1 and returns £25.
Win bets: places filling = 1. Place / top-10: if four tie for two remaining spots, set 4 and 2 — half the stake is paid.
Stake that is paid£5.00
Stake that is lost£5.00
Returns£25.00
Profit£15.00
Work it by hand. Three-way dead heat, £10 at 6/4 (2.50). Stake becomes £3.33. Return is 3.33 × 2.50 = £8.33. A 20/1 three-way on £20 is 20 ÷ 3 × 21 = £140.
Rule 4
Tattersalls Rule 4. A late non-runner after a market is formed. The deduction is pence in the pound of winnings, never the stake. Add every withdrawn price. Deductions add; they stop at 90p. 16/1 or bigger takes nothing.
Deduction20p in the £
Gross winnings£25.00
Winnings after Rule 4£20.00
Returns£30.00
Work it by hand. £10 at 5/2 wins £25. A 4/1 non-runner is 20p in the £. Keep 80p of the £25 = £20. Stake still comes back: £30 total. Two evens non-runners are 45p + 45p, capped at 90p.
Table used: 1/9 or shorter → 90p · 2/11 to 2/17 → 85p · 1/4 to 1/5 → 80p · 3/10 to 2/7 → 75p · 2/5 to 1/3 → 70p · 8/15 to 4/9 → 65p · 8/13 to 4/7 → 60p · 4/5 to 4/6 → 55p · 20/21 to 5/6 → 50p · Evens to 6/5 → 45p · 5/4 to 6/4 → 40p · 8/5 to 7/4 → 35p · 9/5 to 9/4 → 30p · 12/5 to 3/1 → 25p · 16/5 to 4/1 → 20p · 9/2 to 11/2 → 15p · 6/1 to 9/1 → 10p · 10/1 to 14/1 → 5p · over 14/1 → 0p. Some shops waive the 5p band.