Quaddie Betting Guide — How It Works

01How the quaddie works

The quaddie (or Quadrella) is a parimutuel bet on the winners of four nominated races, usually the last four on a metro card. Pick the winner of each leg and you share the pool with everyone else who did. Miss one leg and the ticket dies. Because all four winners must land, quaddie dividends routinely pay thousands — occasionally hundreds of thousands — for a single dollar.

02Calculating the cost

Multiply your selections per leg: two horses in each of the four legs is 2×2×2×2 = 16 combinations, or $16 for $1 units. Three horses per leg is 81 combinations ($81), which is where flexi betting comes in — a 10% flexi on an $81 ticket costs $8.10 and pays 10% of the dividend. Keep at least one leg skinny (one or two picks) or the combinations explode.

03Standout and banker legs

A standout (banker) is a single selection in one leg. One banker cuts a 3×3×3×3 ticket (81 combos) to 27. Most winning quaddie players anchor at least one leg — typically a race with a dominant favourite or a short-priced market — and spread in the legs where the field is open. Two bankers and moderate spreads in the other two legs is the classic winning shape.

04Strategy: pool awareness

Quaddies are parimutuel, so you're betting against other punters, not the bookmaker. Popular combinations (all favourites) win often but pay little; roughie-laden tickets win rarely but pay enormously. The sweet spot is mixing one or two overlooked runners with your anchors. Also check each leg's pool sizes — a short-priced favourite in a small pool leg is often great value because casual money overbets longshots there.

05Quaddie tips for today

Start with our tips page for the best-backed runners of the day, compare fixed odds in each quaddie leg to spot overbet favourites and underbet chances, and always know your total outlay before the first leg jumps. Set a budget — the quaddie's four-leg structure makes it easy to overspend chasing coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions