How is starting price (SP) worked out?

Starting price is determined through an official industry price-forming process that aggregates the odds being offered by on-course bookmakers in the moments before a race starts, producing one agreed price used to settle SP bets.

What's the difference between SP and a fixed price?

A fixed (or early) price is locked in at the moment you place your bet, while an SP bet settles at whatever the official starting price turns out to be once the race begins, whether that's bigger or smaller than the price on offer when you bet.

When would I choose SP instead of taking a price early?

Bettors often take SP when they expect a price to drift bigger closer to the race, or simply to avoid trying to time the market themselves and instead take whatever the industry-agreed price is at the off.

How does Best Odds Guaranteed relate to starting price?

Best Odds Guaranteed is a common way bettors get the better of SP versus their taken price — bookmakers offering it will pay out at SP if it's bigger than your original odds, or at your original price if SP is smaller. See our Best Odds Guaranteed guide for the full details.

Starting Price (SP) Betting Explained

Written by Josh Lingenfelter

Starting price, usually shortened to SP, is a term that comes up constantly in horse racing and greyhound racing betting. Rather than locking in odds at the moment you place your bet, an SP bet is settled at the official price recorded at the off. This guide explains how starting price is worked out, why some bettors prefer it to taking a fixed price early, and how a feature called Best Odds Guaranteed can help you get the better of the two.

Starting price is the official odds for a runner at the moment a race begins, rather than the odds available at the time you placed your bet. It's determined through an industry price-forming process that aggregates the prices being offered by on-course bookmakers just before the race starts, producing a single agreed figure that most bookmakers then use to settle SP bets.

When you back a horse or greyhound at SP, you're agreeing to take whatever that official price turns out to be, whether it ends up higher or lower than the odds shown when you placed your bet. This is different from taking a fixed price (sometimes called an early price), where you lock in the odds available at that moment and your bet settles at that price regardless of how the market moves afterwards.

Bettors might choose SP over a fixed early price for a few reasons. If they expect a horse's price to drift out (get bigger) closer to the race — perhaps because of how the market is moving or because they think an early price looks short — taking SP means they benefit from that bigger price if it materialises. SP also removes the need to time the market at all, since you simply take whatever price is agreed at the off, which suits bettors who'd rather not guess when to bet.

The obvious downside is that SP can also come in shorter than a price you were offered earlier, meaning you'd have been better off taking the fixed price at the time. This is where Best Odds Guaranteed becomes relevant: it's a common way for bettors to get the better of the two outcomes automatically. With our Best Odds Guaranteed guide, you can see how bookmakers offering this feature will pay out at SP if it's bigger than the price you took, or at your original price if SP turns out smaller — effectively giving you the best of both without having to choose in advance.

Whichever approach you take, bet within your means and treat it as entertainment rather than a source of income. If you're worried about your gambling, free and confidential support is available through BeGambleAware. Betting is restricted to over-18s.

FAQs

How is starting price (SP) worked out?: Starting price is determined through an official industry price-forming process that aggregates the odds being offered by on-course bookmakers in the moments before a race starts, producing one agreed price used to settle SP bets.
What's the difference between SP and a fixed price?: A fixed (or early) price is locked in at the moment you place your bet, while an SP bet settles at whatever the official starting price turns out to be once the race begins, whether that's bigger or smaller than the price on offer when you bet.
When would I choose SP instead of taking a price early?: Bettors often take SP when they expect a price to drift bigger closer to the race, or simply to avoid trying to time the market themselves and instead take whatever the industry-agreed price is at the off.
How does Best Odds Guaranteed relate to starting price?: Best Odds Guaranteed is a common way bettors get the better of SP versus their taken price — bookmakers offering it will pay out at SP if it's bigger than your original odds, or at your original price if SP is smaller. See our Best Odds Guaranteed guide for the full details.