Have you noticed some of the huge trifecta payouts lately? Our readers certainly have, and in response to the many inquiries we've had on how best to beat the tris, we are reprinting Statsman's very informative article from the late eighties.

Most punters regard the trifecta in much the same way they regard Lotto - as a potential source of a lot of money for a small outlay.

The only trouble is that trifectas are difficult to strike, unless you outlay a LOT of money! Well, that's the basic thinking. But there are ways you can attack the trifecta and make money without spending too much cash upfront.

Most trifecta betting centres on 'boxes' and 'banker' boxes, where you can couple up various numbers of horses or dogs in a 'box' or take one or two of them as bankers, with other animals to run 2nd and 3rd.

But this article is all about real multiple trifecta betting. This form of betting enables you to choose any combination of runners you wish. With a multiple bet you pick as many runners as you like to come 1st, as many additional runners as you like to run 2nd and 3rd.

You might want to couple up four horses to win the race, with eight horses to run 2nd (including the 1st selections) and nine horses (including your 1st and 2nd selections) to run 3rd. How much would a bet like this cost you? Well, for 50 cent units you'd be up for $98.

Obviously, most punters are not going to want to spend this amount of money. My estimation is that for each multiple trifecta the average punter would not want to outlay more than $20.

Okay, what can we get for a linkup multiple for this amount of money? You could have a 2 x 5 x 7 multiple for $20 (in 50 cent units), or a 2 x 4 x 8 for $18, or maybe you'd like a 2 x 4 x 9 for $21?

If you're loaded, and you feel a big trifecta divvy can be obtained, you could go as far as a 5 x 9 x 10 multiple for $160 (50c units). How would this work?

Okay - you pick five horses to run the 1st spot. You include all these five for 2nd, as well as choosing another four to run 2nd. Then you use all these nine horses and add one more to run 3rd.

The chart that accompanies this article tells you exactly how much each multiple trifecta will cost you. If you don't have this around when you are working out a cost, you have to go through a rather tricky calculation.

It goes like this:

Let's say you had horses 1 and 2 to win, horses 1/2/3 for 2nd and horses 1/2/3/4 for 3rd. The formula would work like this:  2 x 3 x 4 = 24 + Nos 1/2 twice = 28.

Then 2 x 3 = 6 PLUS 3 x 2 = 6 PLUS 4 x 2 = 8 = total of 20 when added together.

Deduct 20 from 28 and you have 8, which is the number of combinations for the trifecta multiple, a $4 outlay at 50 cents each.

As you can see, it will pay you to keep very handy the chart we have compiled for you on this page! Multiple trifectas are a great way to operate and get away from the old 'box' and 'banker' approach to this form of betting.

MULTIPLE TRIFECTAS
SELECTIONS

1st Place 2nd Place
incl.
1st selections
3rd Place
incl.
2nd selections
Cost
@50c
Units
234$4.00
235$6.00
236$8.00
237$10.00
238$12.00
239$14.00
2310$16.00
245$9,00
246$12.00
247$15.00
248$18.00
249$21.00
2410$24.00
256$16.00
257$20.00
258$24.00
259$28.00
2510$32.00
267$25.00
268$30.00
269$35.00
2610$40.00
278$36.00
279$42.00
2710$48.00
345$13.50
346$18.00
347$22.50
348$27.00
349$31.50
3410$36.00
356$24.00
357$30.00
358$36.00
359$42.00
3510$48.00
367$37.50
368$45.00
369$52.50
3610$60.00
378$54.00
379$63.00
3710$72.00
389$73.50
3810$84.00
3910 $96.00
456$32.00
457$40.00
458 $48.00
459 $56.00
4510 $64.00
467 $50.00
468 $60.00
469 $70.00
4610 $80.00
478 $72.00
479 $84.00
4710 $96.00
489 $98.00
4810 $112.00
4910 $128.00
567 $62.50
568 $75.00
569 $87.50
5610 $100.00
578 $90.00
579 $105.00
5710 $120.00
589 $122,50
5910 $140.00
5910 $160.00

By The Statsman

PRACTICAL PUNTING - JUNE 1996