A first four asks you to name the four placegetters in a race in their exact finishing order, and a ticket is paid when it holds that order. A box holds every order of its runners, so the count climbs fast: 4 runners make 24 combinations, 5 make 120, 6 make 360 and 7 make 840. At $1 a combination that is $24 to $840, and flexi lets a smaller outlay take a share of the dividend instead.
Queensland's Wagering Rule, in effect from 22 September 2026, defines the pool as the four placegetters in the correct order and allows one only on a race with at least 4 runners (s 170). In thoroughbred racing the Judge must place at least the first 4 horses (AR 214(3) of the Australian Rules of Racing), and bets settle on the placings at correct weight. The dividend per $1 is declared after the result. Horse racing betting sets the first four among the other ways to bet a race.
How to bet a first four
- Name your runners once the final field is known. The pool needs at least 4 runners, and a scratching after you bet refunds every combination that includes the scratched runner, which can be the whole ticket.
- Turn your view into a layout: a straight ticket, a box, a standout or a position ticket, each set out below.
- Work out the combinations from the formulas and tables below. The flexi calculator handles boxes, standouts and roving bankers, but overcounts a position ticket that names a runner in two groups.
- Choose the outlay and read the percentage it buys: outlay / combinations x 100, where $1 a combination is 100%. The ticket returns what it cost only on a dividend per $1 at least equal to its combinations.
First 4 box cost from 4 to 8 runners
Boxing n runners buys every order they can finish in: n x (n - 1) x (n - 2) x (n - 3) combinations. With $36 as the outlay throughout:
| Runners boxed | Working | Combinations | Cost at $1 | Flexi at $36 | One more runner multiplies the count by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 | 24 | $24 | 150% | 5 |
| 5 | 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 | 120 | $120 | 30% | 3 |
| 6 | 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 | 360 | $360 | 10% | 2.33 |
| 7 | 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 | 840 | $840 | 4.29% | 2 |
| 8 | 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 | 1,680 | $1,680 | 2.14% | 1.8 |
Going from n to n + 1 runners multiplies the count by (n + 1) / (n - 3), so the fifth runner multiplies it most: 24 x 5 = 120. Each later runner still adds more combinations than the one before, and the seventh adds 840 - 360 = 480. Each of these boxes is the trifecta box on the same runners with a fourth place added, so its count is the trifecta count times n - 3.
Standout first fours that keep the cost down
With Runner 6 as the standout, five others (Runners 1, 3, 4, 9 and 12) and the same $36:
| Layout | Working | Combinations | Flexi at $36 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box of all six | 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 | 360 | 10% |
| Runner 6 first, the five others for second to fourth | 5 x 4 x 3 | 60 | 60% |
| Runner 6 anywhere in the top four, the five others for the rest | 4 x 5 x 4 x 3 | 240 | 15% |
| Runners 6 and 3 first and second in either order, the other four for third and fourth | 2 x 4 x 3 | 24 | 150% |
| Runner 6 first, Runner 3 second, the other four for third and fourth | 4 x 3 | 12 | 300% |
| Runner 6 first, 3 second, 1 third, any of the other nine fourth in a 12-runner field | 12 - 3 | 9 | 400% |
The standout to win costs a sixth of the box, and every one of its combinations loses if Runner 6 runs anywhere but first. The roving version survives Runner 6 placing second, third or fourth, at four times the standout's count.
A position ticket gives each place its own group. If each group includes the runners of the one before, the count is a x (b - 1) x (c - 2) x (d - 3). Two runners for first, four for second, six for third and eight for fourth make 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 = 120 combinations, the cost of a 5-runner box with eight runners in play.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A standout is cheap for a reason: it is one opinion, and if the runner you fixed misses its place, every combination on the ticket goes with it. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
Flexi at small outlays, and the minimums
A wide box at a small outlay hits the floor first. The tote rules gazetted in WA in 2010 put it at 1c for each combination, and an operator may require more (rule 3.5(a)). Queensland's Wagering Rule leaves the minimum to each operator (s 28), so check yours before you build. At the 1c floor alone, the largest box an outlay can buy is:
| Outlay | Most combinations at 1c each | Largest box |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | 100 | 4 runners, 24 combinations |
| $2 | 200 | 5 runners, 120 combinations |
| $5 | 500 | 6 runners, 360 combinations |
| $10 | 1,000 | 7 runners, 840 combinations |
| $20 | 2,000 | 8 runners, 1,680 combinations |
Buying a box is not the same as it paying: $5 on a 6-runner box is a 5 / 360 x 100 = 1.39% flexi, so an illustrative $250 dividend returns $250 x 5 / 360 = $3.47, less than the ticket cost. Flexi betting covers rounding and how flexi compares with unit bets.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A small flexi outlay makes a miss cheaper, not less likely, and a ticket this thin can land and still lose money. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
When one of your runners is scratched
Queensland's rule refunds every investment on a combination that includes a runner the stewards withdraw (s 170(8)), as the 2010 WA rules do (rules 9.1 and 9.4(a)). The rest of the ticket runs on at the same percentage. With the $36 tickets above:
| Ticket | Scratched | Combinations refunded | Refund | Still running |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box of six at 10% | Any one runner | 360 - 120 = 240 | 240 x $0.10 = $24.00 | A 5-runner box, 120 combinations, $12 |
| Runner 6 to win, five others, 60% | Runner 6 | All 60 | $36.00 | Nothing |
| Position ticket of 2, 4, 6 and 8 runners at 30% | A runner named only for fourth | 2 x 3 x 4 = 24 | 24 x $0.30 = $7.20 | 96 combinations, $28.80 |
Under the 2010 rules the pool needs 4 runners left after final scratchings; with fewer, the race counts as abandoned for that pool and every ticket is refunded (rules 10.2 and 10.3). Exotic scratching rules sets the first four beside the other exotics.
Note: Tabcorp has moved its tote pools to a single national pool (reported from October 2026). When Queensland's operator joins one as a guest, its rule leaves refunds, dividends, commission and jackpots to the host operator's betting rules (s 104B), so check your pool's current rules.
A bookmaker's first four, at fixed odds or on a dividend its terms name, is its own product. Its scratching rule can refund only the combinations with the scratched runner, void the whole bet, follow the tote's refund where it pays a tote dividend, or settle at a recalculated price. Check the bookmaker's terms before you bet.
Dead heats, short fields and jackpots
From Queensland's Wagering Rule, with the 2010 WA rules matching unless noted:
- Two runners tied for a place create two winning orders, so the pool is split into equal parts, one per winning order, and each part is shared by the units on that order (s 174; 2010 rule 12.11). A part nobody backed jackpots rather than topping up the others.
- More than 12 winning combinations from one dead heat: that placing and any after it are left out when dividends are declared (s 174(4)).
- Only three runners finish: the pool goes to tickets with those three in order and any other starter fourth, and the jackpot pool for the race carries forward (s 170(4); 2010 rule 14.4).
- Nobody holds the winning order, or the units on it add up to less than one 50c base unit: the unpaid part jackpots (ss 16 and 172). It goes into another first four the operator chooses on the same type of racing, within 365 days or a longer approved period. The 2010 WA rules send it to the next one at the same meeting instead, or to one the operator picks when none is left (rules 7.3, 13.2 and 13.4).
Example: Illustrative. Runners 6, 3 and 1 fill the first three and Runners 4 and 9 dead-heat for fourth. A $20,000 pool after commission splits into two $10,000 parts. With $40 of units on 6-3-1-4 and $10 on 6-3-1-9, the dividends are $10,000 / 40 = $250 and $10,000 / 10 = $1,000 per $1, and the 10% box of six above, which holds both orders, collects $25 + $100 = $125.
The superfecta and the Australian first four
The superfecta is the North American name for the same bet. The model rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International define it as the four placegetters in exact order (ARCI-004-105, Version 12.1, June 2023), and the edges differ:
| Situation | North American model rules | Australia (Queensland's rule) |
|---|---|---|
| Nobody holds the winning order | Paid down to the first three in order, then two, then the winner, or carried over, depending on the option adopted | The pool jackpots into a later first four |
| Fewer than four finish | Paid on the finishers' order, ignoring the extra selections | Paid on the finishers in order with any other starters, with the jackpot carried forward |
| Runners sharing one betting number | Coupled entries and mutuel fields run as one betting interest | Runners can be bracketed to share a number when a race has more runners than the tote has numbers, and no first four runs on that race (ss 170(7) and 197) |
| A tie for a place | The profit is split between the tied combinations | The pool is split between them |
The ticket blocks map across: a box is a box, a key is a standout, and a wheel that runs every runner through a place is what the 2010 WA rules call a field selection.
Mistakes with box tickets, and when to skip the bet
- Adding a fifth runner to a 4-runner box at the same outlay. $36 falls from 150% to 30%, so an illustrative $400 dividend returns $120 instead of $600.
- Copying a trifecta box across. Six runners at $36 are a 30% trifecta but a 10% first four.
- Pricing a 7-runner box at $5. That is 5 / 840 = 0.6c a combination, under the 2010 rules' 1c minimum.
- Expecting a refunded box to keep its size. One scratching took the 6-runner box from $36 to $12 of bets.
Skip the bet when the only box you can afford leaves a percentage so thin that likely results return less than the outlay. If your view stops at third place, a trifecta on the same six runners covers it with 120 combinations instead of 360. Trifecta strategy shows how to put a chance on each finishing order before you pay for it.
Reading the win market before you box
Cutting a box down starts with the win market. The Terminal shows prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports, beside Betfair back and lay, one bookmaker to a column, with the flucs alongside. It gives no ratings or picks, so which runners make your box stays your call.
A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds; Betfair back and lay start with Terminal View. Bookmaker names are trade marks of their owners. B337 is not affiliated with them. Betfair is a trade mark of its owner, and B337 is not affiliated with it. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Risk: Betting involves risk. Each extra place multiplies the orders a ticket must cover, so a first four box misses more often than a trifecta box on the same runners. See responsible gambling for limits and support.