A non-runner is a horse that is withdrawn from a race after betting has opened. If you backed it, you get your stake back. If you backed another horse in the race, your winnings may be reduced by a Rule 4 deduction, because your horse now has fewer rivals than when you took the price.
The short version
- Your horse is a non-runner: your stake is returned, as long as you bet at a fixed price on the day.
- Another horse is a non-runner: if your horse wins, the bookmaker may take a few pence in the pound off your winnings.
- How much depends on the non-runner’s price when it was withdrawn. The shorter its price, the bigger the deduction.
- The deduction comes off winnings only, never your stake.
Why horses become non-runners
- Injury or lameness spotted before the race
- Changes in the going, such as heavy rain softening the ground
- A vet’s or the starter’s decision at the start
- A trainer’s choice to run the horse in a different race
What happens if your horse is a non-runner
- Single bet: your stake is refunded.
- Each-way bet: both halves are refunded.
- Accumulator: that leg is treated as void and the bet carries on with the remaining selections. A treble becomes a double, for example.
- Ante-post bets (placed before the final declarations, usually days or weeks ahead) are normally lost if the horse does not run. Check the bookmaker’s rules.
What Rule 4 is
Rule 4 is the industry rule that reduces winnings when a horse is withdrawn after you have taken a price. The idea is simple: with one horse gone, the rest have a better chance, so prices taken earlier are too generous.
Rule 4 does not apply if you take the starting price (SP), because the SP is set when the race starts and already reflects the smaller field.
Rule 4 deduction table
The deduction depends on the non-runner’s price at the time it was withdrawn.
| Non-runner’s price | Deduction per £1 of winnings |
| 1/9 or shorter | 90p |
| 2/11 to 2/17 | 85p |
| 1/4 to 1/5 | 80p |
| 30/100 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 |
| 13/8 to 7/4 | 35p |
| 15/8 to 9/4 | 30p |
| 5/2 to 3/1 | 25p |
| 10/3 to 4/1 | 20p |
| 9/2 to 11/2 | 15p |
| 6/1 to 9/1 | 10p |
| 10/1 to 14/1 | 5p |
| Longer than 14/1 | No deduction |
If more than one horse is withdrawn, the deductions are added together, up to a maximum of 75p in the pound.
Worked examples
Example 1: a £10 win single at 4/1.
- Winnings before deduction: £40.
- The 3/1 favourite is a non-runner, so the deduction is 25p in the pound.
- Deduction: £40 x 0.25 = £10.
- You receive £30 winnings plus your £10 stake, so £40 in total.
Example 2: a £10 win single at 8/1, with a 12/1 non-runner.
- Winnings: £80.
- Deduction at 5p in the pound: £4.
- You receive £76 plus your £10 stake, so £86.
Example 3: the same £10 at 8/1, with two non-runners at 5/2 and 6/1.
- Deductions: 25p plus 10p, so 35p in the pound.
- £80 x 0.35 = £28.
- You receive £52 plus your £10 stake, so £62.
Rule 4 and each-way bets
The same deduction applies to both the win and place parts of an each-way bet. Our each-way guide explains how the two halves are worked out.
Non-runners in a betting shop
- The shop applies the deduction automatically when it settles your bet. You do not need to claim it.
- Withdrawals and deductions are usually shown on the screens and in the shop’s results.
- If you think a bet has been settled wrongly, ask at the counter and keep your receipt.
- Some bookmakers have their own offers for non-runners, such as money back on certain races. Check the terms in the shop.
Checking for non-runners
BookieFinder does not publish a daily list of non-runners. For the latest withdrawals, check the racecard on the screens in a betting shop, or the racing pages of the official racecourse or racing results services.
A final word
Rule 4 is one of the reasons a price you take in the morning can pay less than you expected. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If betting stops being fun, our responsible gambling page lists free support.