What is a Quaddie and How Does It Work?

If you’re interested in horse racing, then you’ve probably come across the term “quaddie” at some point. A quaddie, also known as a quadrella or a pick four, is a popular betting option for Australian horse racing enthusiasts.

The best part of a quaddie is value for money. Not only do you get to watch four races for one bet, but the payouts can be huge.

The betting sites, betting apps and Australian bookmakers all offer quaddie betting so check them out to place your next quddie.

Quaddie pools during the Melbourne Cup Carnival are astronomically high, so they’re worth playing.

What is a Quaddie?

A quaddie is an exotic bet that involves selecting the winners of four races in a row. The races that make up a quaddie are typically the last four races of a meeting, which allows punters to have more time to study the form and make their selections.

However, early quaddies were introduced a few years ago, which allowed punters to bet on a quaddie in the four races before the final four races.

Quaddies are only available for selected race meetings and are usually offered at major racecourses around Australia. To place a quaddie bet, use the app of your favourite online bookmaker.

How Does a Quaddie Work?

To win a quaddie, you need to correctly select the winners of the four designated races. The quaddie is a parimutuel bet, which means that the prize pool is divided among all the winners.

Here’s an example of how a quaddie works:

Let’s say the four races that make up the quaddie are races 5, 6, 7, and 8 at Flemington. You decide to place a $10 quaddie and select the following horses:

Race 6: Horse 3
Race 7: Horse 6
Race 8: Horse 1
Race 9: Horse 2

If all four of your selections win their respective races, you’ll win the quaddie. The payout for a quaddie can be substantial, as the prize pool is often made up of contributions from multiple race meetings nationwide.

Punters can have more than one runner in every race. The more runners you select, the higher the cost of the bet. A popular option is to take a percentage quaddie, which gives you a cut of the winning dividend, but you spend as much as you want.

This allows for a more affordable option; punters can still win big if their selections are successful.

Strategies for Winning a Quaddie

Like all forms of betting, there’s no guaranteed way to win a quaddie. However, there are some strategies that punters can use to increase their chances of success. Here are some tips for winning a quaddie:

1. Do Your Research

It is important to research which horses could win. However, if you don’t have the time, we have daily horse racing tips available, especially for the big quaddie meetings.

2. Narrow Your Selections

While it can be tempting to select as many horses as possible to increase your chances of winning, this can also increase the cost of your bet. Instead, try to narrow your selections down to a few horses that you believe have the best chance of winning. This will keep your costs down and increase your chances of winning a larger payout. It also helps to throw in some roughies. If all the favourites win, the payout won’t be very big.

3. Watch the Betting Markets

One of the best betting guides is watching the market. Late money is telling, especially on Australian horse racing. If money comes late in the day for a runner, it could be worth including in your quaddie bet. Obviously, if the money comes very late, your bet is already on. However, find runners that have been specked throughout the week at odds.

Daryl Curnow

About Daryl Curnow

After graduating from the University of Auckland (BA - English), Daryl was thrown into the world of sports and horse racing journalism.

Having worked as a racing journalist for two years, he decided to move into the online world of horse racing and sports writing. After years of honing his craft, Daryl became a professional punter in 2009 - with a focus on horse racing, NRL, AFL, NBA, Rugby, NFL, and US college sports.

Daryl's tips have been featured on various websites around the world before joining the GoBet team. When he's not working, Daryl tries to avoid making bogeys on the golf course.

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