In races with 24 runners or less, all Win, Place, Exacta and Trifecta wagers from International sources are comingled into the pools of the United Kingdom Horserace Totalisator Board. When betting on British racing, North American horseplayers must note the following:
* UK Tote rules apply to commingled pools and, in the case of Place betting, these are substantially different to rules in North America for Place (or Show) betting. UK Tote rules for Place betting depend upon whether a race is a handicap or non-handicap and are as follows:
Non-Handicap Races:
4 or less run: No Place betting
5 to 7 run: Place payouts for first and second
8 to 24 run: Place payouts for first, second and third
Handicap Races:
4 or less run: No Place betting
5 to 7 run: Place payouts for first and second
8 to 15 run: Place payouts for first, second and third
16 to 20 run: Place payouts for first, second, third and fourth
Place ONLY pays to four places IF 16 or more horses start the race AND if the race is a Handicap. For example, if 16 horses are entered in a Handicap race but two scratch, then only three Place payouts will be declared.
Omni / Swinger
In an omni winner, you select two horses who must both finish third or better. They can finish in any order. (They can finish 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd or 1st and 3rd.) Please note that the Omni / Swinger is not available through the IVR.
The UK also has Punters (Legal bookmakers) who offer different payouts and pay the higher between their own payout and the International one. Usually the international one is higher, but occasionally the Punter one is higher so they pay that one. This is only for the WIN pool on track. We would then pay a different one than what shows on Racing Post, etc.