Calculate a Tricast
Tricast (trifecta) racing payout for three horses in order.
How to Use This Calculator
- Pick your tricast type, straight (one exact order) or combination (all six orderings)
- Drop in the odds for each of your three horses
- Drop in your unit stake
- Get total stake, combined odds, return and profit
Formula
Combined Odds = Odds₁ × Odds₂ × Odds₃
Straight Tricast: 1 bet at unit stake.
Combination Tricast: 6 bets at unit stake (3! orderings) — total stake = 6 × unit stake. Only the correct ordering pays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a tricast bet?
A tricast (known as a trifecta in the US) is a bet on which three horses land 1st, 2nd and 3rd. A straight tricast needs the exact order; a combination tricast spans all six possible orderings for six times the stake.
When does a combination tricast make sense?
Reach for combination when you’re locked in on which three horses fill the placings but not the order. The trade-off is paying 6x stake. If you’ve got firm reads on the order, a straight tricast pays the same on the winning order at a sixth of the cost.
How are tricast payouts worked out?
UK bookmakers typically run the Computer Tricast Forecast (CTF) formula built off starting prices and field size. The multiplicative model (Odds x Odds x Odds) is just a rough approximation. Actual dividends can swing by 30%+ depending on field strength.
Is a tricast good value?
Tricasts carry very high variance: the chance of winning is low but payouts are huge. Keep them to a small slice of your bankroll. Sharper bettors lean toward shorter-priced markets where structural edges exist; tricasts are mostly for fun.