What is Dutching Horses?

Dutching has become a go-to strategy for savvy bettors today.

Though its origins are fascinating, Dutching’s real charm lies in its simplicity. Dutching allows you to spread your risk by backing multiple horses in a race. With calculated stakes, you can secure a profit regardless of the winner—perfect for the risk-averse.

This method appeals to those who are more risk-averse, offering a way to bet without being entirely dependent on the outcome of a single horse. 

In today’s world of online betting, tools and calculators have made it easier than ever for punters to employ Dutching with precision, even in more complex markets.

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Understanding Horse Racing and Dutching

What is dutching in betting?

Let’s start by establishing exactly what dutching is. It’s a betting strategy that began in the 1930s in America, when Dutch Shultz, a gentleman of somewhat dubious character, utilised a team of accountants to manipulate odds at the racecourse to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome of the race. It is a method where every horse is backed at a price and to a stake that guarantees a profit. Coupling is another word that describes backing more than one horse in a race and for the purpose of this article will mean the same thing.

Probably the easiest way to explain it is bookmaking in reverse. A bookmaker will lay every horse to stakes that guarantee a profit regardless which horse wins. Well of course that’s the theory, go to any racecourse and you’ll see bookies scratching around to take bets of any kind, laying the front few in the market to minimise losses and hope an outsider wins.

The larger bookmakers, both online and in betting shops, will take huge volumes in bets and are far better placed in this respect. Racecourse bookmakers of old had amazing mathematical minds, converting fractions into percentages instantly, and with the help of the clerk were able to create balanced books. 

So if it’s doable as a bookie surely the same applies as a punter?

Absolutely!

Examples of Dutch betting

Let’s look at the most obvious example of dutch betting..

It’s a two horse race, you are able to back both horses at 11/10, you have £10 on both meaning that whichever wins the return is £21, a profit of £1. Easy.

Imagine a race with three runners, each at 9/4 odds. Backing each with £40 totals £120. Whichever horse wins, you’re looking at a £130 return—a straightforward £10 profit.

Well this is simple! 

The problem is can you recall an occasion when either of the above scenarios actually occurred? No, nor me. So in principle it works but how and where do we find the opportunities?

Let’s build on the examples already provided… 

While a two-horse or three-horse race where all selections offer similar odds is ideal, the reality of racing is often more varied. Imagine a ten-runner race where a favourite is priced at 2/1, and the remaining horses range between 6/1 and 20/1. In this case, Dutching becomes more intricate, but still viable.

By carefully calculating your stakes, you can back multiple horses while maintaining a set profit margin. 

For instance, if you decide to bet on the favourite alongside two outsiders, you can allocate your stakes proportionally to ensure a return regardless of which horse wins. 

Tools such as Dutching calculators, widely available online, help automate these calculations, making the process smoother and reducing the likelihood of error.

The Principle of Dutching Betting System

The concept of Dutching, while straightforward in theory, is often misunderstood as foolproof. 

In reality, it’s important to acknowledge that like all betting strategies, Dutching carries risks. Though it allows you to cover multiple outcomes, your overall return is only as good as the odds you secure. For instance, if the odds for several horses are low, you may struggle to guarantee a significant profit.

That said, Dutching can often outperform single-horse betting when applied correctly, especially when there is no clear favourite or when market odds suggest an open race. In this respect, Dutching can be compared to an insurance policy, providing you with a safety net, but at the cost of some potential upside.

How Does Horse Racing Dutching Work?

In practice, Dutching works by allocating stakes across several horses in a race in such a way that you ensure a profit, no matter which horse wins. 

The key lies in adjusting your stake size to the odds offered on each horse. The lower the odds, the higher the stake required to secure the same return. This can be particularly effective in wide-open races where it is difficult to pick a single winner.

For example, if you’re looking at a race with a strong favourite, but believe an outsider has a genuine chance, Dutching allows you to back both, securing a guaranteed return regardless of the result. The trick is to find races where Dutching can maximise your advantage without diminishing your returns.

Types of Dutching

There are two key approaches when it comes to Dutching, and each has its unique application depending on the race and your goals. 

The first type, Level Stakes Dutching, is the simpler of the two. In this method, you stake the same amount on each horse, meaning that whichever horse wins, the payout is equal. This straightforward approach works best in races where odds are closely matched. However, as mentioned earlier, opportunities like this are quite rare and often too good to be true. In most everyday races, employing level stakes without considering the odds could result in losses, particularly if you’re backing horses at shorter prices.

The second, more advanced type is Set Profit Dutching. Here, instead of staking the same amount on each horse, you adjust your stakes so that you aim for a specific profit regardless of which horse wins. For example, if you want to win £100, you might stake £100 on a horse priced at Evens, £20 on a horse at 5/1, and £10 on a horse at 10/1. This method is more complex, as it requires careful calculations to ensure the profit target is achieved without overly inflating your total stake.

While set profit Dutching offers greater flexibility and the potential for consistent returns, it also carries more risk. The stakes can escalate quickly, and unless the horse with the shortest odds wins, you may not make as much as anticipated. As with any betting system, Dutching isn’t without its challenges, but with the right calculations and approach, it remains a popular strategy for reducing risk across multiple runners.

Simple Dutch Betting

Simple Dutch betting is the entry point for those new to the strategy, focusing on smaller stakes and easier calculations. This method is best suited for races with fewer runners or where the odds between selections don’t vary wildly. For instance, in a five-runner race where two or three horses are closely matched, a punter can back multiple runners without complex calculations or large stakes.

Here, the aim is not to win big but to build confidence in the system. Simple Dutch betting keeps risks low and teaches the fundamentals of balancing stakes to achieve a steady, if modest, return. Once you’ve mastered this, you can start to experiment with more advanced Dutching techniques.

Set profit dutch betting

Set profit Dutching is where the strategy really comes into its own. By deciding in advance how much profit you’d like to make from a race, you can split your stake accordingly across multiple horses. This allows for far greater control over your bets, ensuring that you achieve your target profit, regardless of which selection crosses the line first.

For example, if you want to win £100, you might stake £100 on a horse at evens, £50 on a horse at 2/1, and £25 on a 4/1 selection. The challenge, of course, is that these higher stakes must be carefully managed, as the cost of covering multiple horses can quickly add up. However, when applied wisely, set profit Dutching provides a powerful tool for consistent, calculated betting.

Set amount dutch betting (stake limited)

Set amount Dutch betting is a conservative approach, ideal for punters who want to limit their exposure while still applying the Dutching strategy. The concept is straightforward: you decide in advance the total amount you’re willing to stake on a race, and you divide this stake among your selected horses according to their odds. Crucially, your overall stake remains constant, regardless of how many horses you back.

For example, if you’ve set a limit of £100 per race, this £100 is distributed across your chosen horses. Let’s say you’ve picked two horses priced at 3/1. You would stake £33.33 on each, giving you a total outlay of £66.66. If either horse wins, your return would be £133.33, with a profit of £66.67. In essence, you’re backing an even money (1/1) favourite across two selections.

This approach helps prevent the temptation to chase losses or inflate stakes in search of a bigger win. It also simplifies the Dutching process by keeping your stake consistent, which is particularly beneficial for those new to the strategy. By focusing on disciplined staking, you ensure that your risk is limited to the amount you’re comfortable losing, while still aiming for a steady profit.

Remember, with set amount Dutching, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the odds-to-percentage conversion. For instance, two horses priced at 3/1 do not offer a combined return equivalent to a 2/1 winner, but rather closer to even money. Many online Dutching calculators can help you visualise your profit and loss across different horses, making the calculations far simpler.

Dutching strategies and systems

In the first instance go to www.oddschecker.com, a really useful site, and familiarise yourself with a dutching calculator.

This example calculates the stake required at the price available to guarantee a profit of £229.40 for a stake of £100. Hang on, I hear you say, what about the other runners in the race? And even if one of them does win it’s the equivalent of a 9/4 winner, or thereabouts.

So the first thing you must do is familiarise yourself with fractions and percentages, this conversion chart will help https://www.aceodds.com/bet-calculator/odds-converter.html.

A few basic examples are Evens = 50% and 3/1 = 25%, play around with the numbers to familiarise yourself. 

Too many punters don’t realise that backing two horses for £10 at 3/1 is the same as backing one horse for £20 at Evens. Both return a profit or loss of £20 for £20 outlay. If you back two horses for £10 at 10/1 the potential return is £110 for a stake of £20, the equivalent of backing one horse at 9/2. 

It is vital if you are considering dutching as a strategy to understand that odds, whether as fractions or decimal, are represented as percentages.

Unless you are a mathematical genius of Einstein proportions (I’m not) it will be virtually impossible to calculate the stakes and prices required to guarantee a profit by backing every horse in virtually any race.

However, it should be possible to make a long term profit by choosing certain races where you can eliminate runners and concentrate on those that have the best chance of winning. 

The difference in trading and dutching, where we are backing more than one horse, is that we are narrowing down the field to the most likely winners and spreading our stake out between them to make a profit should either or any of them win.

Let’s consider potential opportunities and identify the type of race most suited to dutching. Bear in mind we are initially looking to eliminate the chances of as many runners as possible and then look to place bets covering those we consider to have the best chances.

In the first instance let’s ignore the Grand National, the Stewards Cup and other large field handicaps where plenty of runners could win. I’d suggest that dutching more than 3 runners is very complicated and minimises potential profit. If you back 6 horses and one wins, your profit is negated by the stakes on the 5 losers.

I would recommend a field of no more than 10, perhaps even 8, although there may be occasions (novice chases for example) where it’s reasonable to exclude a large proportion of the field. I’d also suggest no bets in a race where the favourite is 6/4 or shorter, if you are betting horses to win, let’s say £100, backing one at Evens requires  a stake of £100 meaning a profit is impossible. 

A key point to remember is that if your usual stake is £100 then your total stakes on each race should not exceed £100. This is not a reckless strategy, rather one that requires analysis, calculation and a lot of small gains designed to produce a long term profit.

In this example I have narrowed down the field to three possible winners, the prices are 7/4 (2.75) 8/1 (9.0) and 5/1 (6.0). The calculator has told me what stake to place in order to produce a profit of £55.91 should either horse win.

Of course if all three lose I’ve lost £100 and in standing to win £55.91 effectively I’m backing a ½ chance. 

So this is an approach that requires the elimination of horses you decide cannot win, as opposed to looking for those that can. 

There are no rules that say you can only back 2, 3 or 4 horses in a race, back as many as you like, but use the calculator to establish your stakes and place bets accordingly. 

How to Form a Dutching Betting Strategy

Developing a successful Dutching strategy is all about discipline, analysis, and the ability to eliminate less likely winners. 

The key to Dutching lies in narrowing down the field to a manageable number of horses that offer a realistic chance of victory, while carefully balancing your stakes to ensure profitability regardless of which selection wins.

Firstly, it’s important to identify races that suit the Dutching method. Races with between 8 and 12 runners are often ideal, as this allows you to rule out those horses that are less likely to perform based on factors like form, ground conditions, and jockey-trainer combinations. 

Avoid races with overwhelming favourites at very short odds, as the potential profit margin diminishes drastically. Ideally, focus on events where the favourite is priced at 2/1 or longer.

Once you’ve identified a suitable race, the next step is to analyse the form and narrow your selection to two or three horses.

 Using ratings systems, such as those available on platforms like Race Advisor, can significantly help with this process. The highest-rated horses usually present the best chances, but always cross-reference with recent form and other key factors like fitness or course conditions.

After narrowing down the selections, you need to calculate your stakes. 

Use a Dutching calculator to distribute your total stake across the horses, aiming to win a set amount no matter which one triumphs. This is where the Dutching strategy excels, as it allows you to minimise risk while ensuring that your profit margin is preserved. Remember, though, that spreading your stake means you won’t make as much as if you were to back a single winner, but your chances of walking away with a return increase substantially.

Lastly, always maintain a disciplined staking plan. Set a budget for each race and stick to it. Dutching requires careful management of your bankroll, and it’s crucial not to let emotions or ‘hunches’ lead you to break from the plan. Dutching is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but with patience and precision, it’s a strategy that can yield consistent, long-term profits.

Best Bet Types for The Dutching Strategy

When it comes to Dutching, certain bet types lend themselves better to the strategy than others. The goal of Dutching is to spread your risk across multiple selections, ensuring a guaranteed profit if one of your chosen horses wins. Let’s explore which bet types work best with this approach.

1. Win-Only Dutching

Win-only Dutching is by far the simplest and most effective way to use this strategy. 

By backing multiple horses in a race to win, you only need to calculate stakes based on their win odds. This allows you to focus on a straightforward calculation: how much to bet on each horse to ensure a profit, no matter which one wins. 

With fewer variables to consider, win-only Dutching remains the most reliable option, especially for those looking to avoid complicated calculations.

2. Each-Way Dutching

Although each-way Dutching is possible, it introduces a significant level of complexity. 

In essence, you’re placing two bets on each horse—one for the win and one for the place. While this can increase your chances of a return, particularly in larger fields, it means calculating stakes for two sets of odds. When backing three horses each way, you are effectively placing six bets, which can quickly become difficult to manage.

 Each-way Dutching might appeal to those who enjoy the challenge of complex calculations, but for most, it’s not the most efficient or profitable route.

3. Place-Only Dutching

For those looking to reduce risk even further, place-only Dutching can be a useful option. 

Here, instead of betting on horses to win, you back them to finish in the top positions. While the returns are smaller compared to win-only bets, the likelihood of a return is higher, making this strategy suitable for races with clear standouts that are likely to place, but not necessarily win. 

Place-only Dutching works well in larger fields where the odds of multiple horses placing are attractive. Make sure you are always aware of your payout if only one of the horses place.

While each-way and place-only Dutching have their merits, the simplest and most effective approach for most bettors is to stick with win-only Dutching.

It allows for easier calculations and a more straightforward path to consistent profits. For those with a deeper understanding of the mathematics involved, experimenting with each-way or place-only Dutching can add another dimension to your betting strategy, but they require a much higher level of precision and discipline.

Using Horse Racing Systems For Horse Dutching

Ahhhh, systems, the pot of gold we’ve been searching for. In truth, if you have a system that consistently throws up winners then dutching is potentially a good way to make a profit. And of course the reverse is true. No strategy in the world will turn too many losers into money.

Using ratings, such as those on Race Advisor, is a great starting point. 

Eliminate unsuitable races eg short priced favourite, too few or too many runners, and concentrate on the top 2 or 3 rated horses. I’m in danger of stating the obvious that backing 3 increases the chance of a profit but also reduces the potential profit. 

The top 3 rated horses on the Race Advisor, using your preferred ratings, throw up a very large percentage of winners, coupling these horses together is potentially a very profitable strategy.

Comparing Dutching with Other Betting Systems

You’ve probably experimented with any number of systems or strategies with varying degrees of success (or failure). Dutching can be profitable but as with every other approach will depend entirely on your ability to pick winners. By backing more than one horse you potentially increase your win ratio, but at the same time decrease the potential returns. Try thinking like a bookmaker, making slow but steady profits. If your daily bet is an each way yankee this isn;t for you.

Why You Need Horse Form For Horse Dutching

Regardless of the number of horses you are backing you will still need to assess the most likely winner. Using Race Advisor ratings is an ideal place to start, the highest rated horses have earned those figures, concentrating on the top three as a start point. If you can eliminate one due to unsuitable ground or fitness you are down to two and can bet accordingly.

How Should You Stake When Dutching?

A clear staking plan is essential regardless of your method, placing inconsistent amounts due to hunches or lack of confidence just won’t work. We can all recall times when we had too much on a loser and not enough on a winner, therefore it is essential that you implement and stick to a simple and consistent staking plan.

I would suggest this, create a bank of ten times the amount you wish to stake on a race. If your current maximum stake is £100 I would recommend that when you start to dutch you use this figure as the amount you stake in every race. To clarify, you will not be staking £100 on each horse, you will be dividing a maximum of £100 between your selections at the odds available to win £100. It is important you play around and experiment with the calculator to understand the concept and stake accordingly.

So if you identify two horses to back and they are both 3/1 you bet £33.33 on both, a total stake of £66.66. If one wins the return is £133.33, a profit of £66.67. You have effectively backed an evens (odds of 1/1 or 2.00) favourite.

Important Staking Rule

The absolute golden rule, as obvious as it sounds, is this is a technique that minimises losses with the aim of steady profit. You must learn to convert odds from fractions into percentages and understand that backing two horses at 3/1 does not provide a 2/1 winner but an even money winner. Using the exchanges is far easier to see your potential profit and loss rather than spreading bets across bookmakers.

Let’s assume you are backing each horse to win £100, I’d say the average total stake in a race would be around £60. Ten times £100 means a starting bank of £1000. Thich means you’ll need to go around 16 races without a winner, backing probably 40 horses, to run out of money.

If that’s the case I’d suggest you take up gardening, less stressful and more rewarding!

Tips and Tricks From the Expert

Let’s not be too restrictive and absolutely commit to a straight jacket approach. If you strongly fancy a horse then back it, there is nothing more rewarding than having a decent bet on something you strongly fancy. By coupling more than one horse you’re adopting a more conservative strategy, chances are it’s too limiting for most punters. 

I’d recommend that you identify suitable races, look at the three top rated and use your skill and experience to see whether any of those can be eliminated. If not, back all three to win your target sum, likewise with two. There’ll be times when the ground is soft and two of the top three are fast ground horses that haven’t run for a year. Back one horse accordingly.

Assessing the Risk and Reward

Is Dutch betting profitable?

As with all methods of betting, the bottom line is can dutching be profitable? Let’s be honest, there is no guarantee but coupling horses in a race gives you every chance of a long term profit.

And the answer, as with (most) other methods is yes, as long as the approach is analytical and applied with precise mathematics. A casual punter, or one that enjoys yankees, jackpots and reverse forecasts, is not going to give this a second glance.

However, if you enjoy form study and have the ability to eliminate runners based on the draw, the going, fitness, trainer form etc, it should be possible to narrow down the right type of race to 2 or 3 runners and by spreading the stakes lock into a profit. There is no chance you will achieve a 100% strike rate, but with discipline and a long term approach you should be able to make a steady profit.

Of course it’s also possible to adopt a dutching lay strategy, laying more than one horse in a race on the exchanges to minimise losses and potentially make good profits. More of that another time.

Is Dutch betting legal?

Dutching is perfectly legal, the chances are that you will be backing horses across several bookmakers, unless you are an exchange player, where available prices are generally higher, especially at longer prices. All you are doing is placing single bets, albeit more than one in any given race.

Can You Make A Living Dutching Horses?

It’s a question many bettors ask—can you really make a living from Dutching? 

The short answer is yes, it’s possible, but like all betting strategies, it requires a disciplined approach, a well-defined system, and a solid understanding of horse racing.

Dutching offers a methodical way to bet by covering multiple outcomes in a race. However, making a consistent profit from this approach is not guaranteed, and it’s certainly not a get-rich-quick scheme. 

To turn a steady profit, you need to focus on selecting the right races. Ideally, these are races with 8 to 10 runners where the favourite is priced at 2/1 or greater. This setup offers the best balance of value and manageable risk.

Success in Dutching also depends on your ability to eliminate horses that are unlikely to win, narrowing down the field to two or three strong contenders. This requires careful analysis of factors like form, fitness, ground conditions, and jockey-trainer performance. Using tools like Dutching calculators ensures that you place the right stakes across your selections to guarantee a consistent return, no matter which horse wins.

That said, even the most experienced bettors won’t hit a 100% strike rate. Losses are part of the game, but with a patient, long-term approach, and the ability to maintain discipline, Dutching can be a viable method for generating consistent, steady profits. However, making a living from it requires more than just betting; it demands continuous learning, analysis, and strict money management.

Conclusion

Before you consider dutching as part of your betting strategy be honest with yourself and ask yourself what type of punter are you? Dutching is for those that want to look at a day’s racing and find suitable types of race, ideally no more than 10 runners, able to discard a good proportion and set about backing 2 or 3, perhaps 4 if the prices permit to win a set amount per race.

Can you make a living from dutching? Well yes, there are people who make a living from betting in any number of ways, none of which are straightforward or guaranteed. Dutching is a process that requires assessing certain types of races, ideally races where the favourite is 2/1 or bigger and the field is between 8-10 runners.You will need to eliminate the chances of at least half the field in the usual manner (form, going, fitness, draw etc) and narrow it down to 2 or 3 that have a realistic chance of winning. Check the odds available and using the dutching calculator calculate the stakes required to back each horse to win a set amount. This set amount might be £100 or £1000 or indeed where you feel comfortable, and remember that on almost every occasion in reality you are betting an odds on shot, in that the combined stakes will usually be higher than the potential return, not including the return stake.

For example, in simple terms, if you back 3 horses at 4/1 to win £100 each that is 3 x £25 = £75, for a potential return of £125 and a profit of £50. This is the equivalent of having £75 on a 4/6 shot, so be clear in your mind that although you are backing three horses at 4/1 you are really backing them coupled at 4/6. Ask yourself, does this suit your mindset, or are you a punter that prefers backing a single runner?

You certainly won’t become rich overnight but with patience and an analytical approach you can make a steady profit.

 If Dutching intrigues you, why not dive deeper into advanced strategies on our site? Dutching may take a little practice, but the potential returns could be well worth it.

Good luck!