What does BOG mean in horse racing?

Put in the simplest terms, BOG is an acronym for best odds guaranteed and it offers better value for punters who can get it when placing a bet. Best odds guaranteed means that if your bet wins and the SP is bigger than the odds you took when placing the bet, it’s settled at the bigger price. It’s important to note you get the odds you took when placing the bet if the price shortens too, making it the best of both worlds for punters!

How best odds guaranteed works

BOG payout applies only to the horse’s SP at the off, so if a horse was to drift briefly beforehand but gets backed in again, you wouldn’t then get paid out at the bigger price. 

Similarly, it applies only to the price given by the bookmaker you placed the bet with, so if another bookie is a bigger price, that wouldn’t impact your bet. Below is a table including different scenarios and how they would be impacted by best odds guaranteed.

When does BOG apply?

It’s important to note that BOG usually applies on the day of the race, often specifically from a stipulated time in the morning that day. If you place a bet on the final market the night before, it’s likely that BOG will not apply. 

Many experts will try to find value by betting the night before, so sometimes the potentially bigger prices on offer can be a stronger pull than the potential of BOG. Ante-post bets don’t qualify for best odds guaranteed either and the same applies to in-running bets.

Each-way betting

Some firms will calculate the each-way leg of the bet using BOG, as well as the win leg, which offers the best value for punters. It’s also worth noting that some firms will apply BOG to the win bet only, so it’s definitely worth checking out the conditions when placing your bet.

How is BOG affected by a Rule 4?

It’s never nice to have your winnings reduced but here we’ll take a look at the processes applied as a result of a Rule 4 and what that means for a BOG bet.

A Rule 4 is a reduction in pence per pound of profit due to a late withdrawal or non-runner which has had a significant effect on the market. A 100/1 shot being withdrawn wouldn’t lead to a Rule but if the 4/9 favourite is a late non-runner, there would be a significant one.

The odds of the bet you placed aren’t technically impacted by the Rule 4, so you would get paid out at the bigger price if SP was bigger than the initial odds you placed the bet at. The reduction comes from the profit, rather than the odds.

Why BOG is getting harder to find

BOG is always available at the discretion of the bookmakers and as bet layers, they stand to lose a significant amount as a result of offering it. That is why it is often restricted and unavailable to certain customers and not all operators offer it. 

Those taking prices with BOG and expecting a drift with consistent success can assume that the concession will be withdrawn sooner or later. 

Is BOG worth it?

It obviously depends on a case-by-case basis and on the type of bet you are placing but the extra value is helpful more often than not. Early punters who take prices the night before and are anticipating the horse to be backed in are usually better off without however.

FAQs