What is Forecast Bet?

A forecast bet is a wager that predicts which selections will finish first and second in a race in the exact correct order, most commonly offered on horse and greyhound racing. Because it demands the precise 1-2 finishing sequence, a forecast is harder to land than a straight win bet, but it pays out far more when both picks come home in the right positions. The standard version is the straight forecast, where you name first and second in order. A reverse forecast covers both orderings of two selections (A-B and B-A), doubling the stake but winning if either finishes ahead of the other. A combination forecast lets you include three or more runners, generating every first-and-second pairing between them, again multiplying the total stake. Forecast returns are usually calculated by an industry dividend system called the Computer Straight Forecast (CSF), rather than fixed odds, so the exact payout is only confirmed after the race settles based on the finishing prices. Worked example: you place a 5 EUR straight forecast on Horse A to win and Horse B second. They finish in that order and the CSF dividend returns as 18.40 to a 1 EUR stake. Your payout is 5 x 18.40 = 92 EUR. Had you taken a reverse forecast instead, you would have staked 10 EUR (2 x 5 EUR) to cover both orders, so the same result nets 92 EUR minus the losing 5 EUR leg. For bettors comparing operators, note that forecast markets rely on the pari-mutuel-style CSF pool, so different bookmakers typically return near-identical dividends. Compare with tricast, each-way, and exotic-bet.