SP stands for Starting Price — the officially recorded odds of a horse at the moment a race starts. If you place a bet “at SP”, your bet is settled at the odds the horse is returned at the start, not the odds when you placed the bet. Here is everything Irish punters need to know about SP in 2026.
How Starting Price Is Calculated
In Irish horse racing, the SP is calculated by the Racing Post’s SP reporters at the course, based on the state of the on-course betting market in the final minutes before the off. It reflects the best available price with on-course bookmakers (not the exchanges). The SP is the official price used to settle SP bets at all bookmakers.
CSP: Computerised Starting Price
Some bookmakers (particularly in the UK) use a Computerised Starting Price (CSP), derived from exchange prices rather than on-course reporters. CSP is generally considered a more accurate reflection of the true market price. The SP you receive may be the traditional course SP or CSP depending on your bookmaker — check the Horse Racing section of their House Rules.
Early Price vs SP: Which Is Better?
Early prices are often available from the previous evening or early morning for major races. If you back a horse early and it shortens to SP favourite, you have got the better of the bookmaker. If it drifts in price, SP would have been better. As a rule:
- Take early price: if you believe the horse will shorten (popular, well-backed, improving form)
- Take SP: if you think the horse may drift or if you are following the market consensus
- Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG): many GRAI-licensed bookmakers offer BOG on UK and Irish racing — you get the higher of your early price or SP automatically
SP Bets and Handicap Races
SP bets are placed before the market closes and do not carry odds. The final settlement price depends on market activity you cannot predict. For races where late market moves are significant (big-field handicaps, ante-post futures), SP betting carries more uncertainty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Starting Price: Early Price vs SP Comparison
| Scenario | Take early price | Take SP | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse expected to shorten | Current: 10/1; likely SP: 7/1 | You get the shorter price | Take early price |
| Horse expected to drift | Current: 5/1; likely SP: 7/1 | You get the longer price | Take SP / wait |
| BOG available | Early price 5/1 | SP comes in at 7/1; BOG pays 7/1 | Take early for BOG protection |
| Ante-post (days ahead) | Best price available now | No SP yet | Take price; standard ante-post risk |
| Race-day big market | 8/1 available | SP often similar in busy markets | Either fine |
How SP Is Calculated in Ireland
The Starting Price in Ireland is calculated using a system derived from bookmaker prices at the track. For racing broadcast and settled on Irish tracks, the SP is determined by on-course bookmakers at the time the race begins. For UK races, the SP follows the Racing Post SP methodology (median of on-course prices at start).
Online bookmakers either pay SP directly (for clients who request it) or offer their own early prices. Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) bridges the gap: if you take an early price and SP is bigger, you receive SP. BOG applies to race-day bets only — not ante-post.
What Does SP Mean in Horse Racing Ireland
SP stands for Starting Price -- the official odds at which a horse starts the race, as returned by the SP reporters at the track. When you take SP, your bet is settled at whatever odds are returned at the off, rather than a price agreed in advance. In Ireland, the official SP is based on the on-course market at Irish tracks (or UK SP for UK races), calculated as an average of the top betting-ring prices.
| Option | What you get | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Take SP | Get the official starting price at the off | Unknown in advance -- for drifters |
| Take early price | Fixed price agreed when you bet | May be better or worse than SP |
| SP + BOG | Take early price; get SP if it is higher | Best of both worlds |
What Does BOG Mean in Betting Ireland
BOG -- Best Odds Guaranteed -- means if the starting price (SP) is longer than the price you took early, your bet is settled at the higher SP. If you took 5/1 early and the horse drifts to 8/1 SP, you get paid at 8/1. BOG is free -- there is no extra cost. It is typically available on horse racing and is offered by most major Irish bookmakers for selected races, particularly during festival season.
Starting Price — the official odds of a horse at the moment a race starts, based on on-course bookmaker prices. SP bets are settled at this price regardless of when you placed the bet.
Yes — your early price is locked in when you place it. SP is determined at the start of the race. With Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG), you get whichever is higher.
BOG means you receive the higher of your early price or SP. If you took 10/1 and the horse starts at 12/1 SP, you receive 12/1. Many GRAI-licensed bookmakers offer BOG on UK and Irish racing.
CSP (Computerised Starting Price) uses exchange data to calculate the starting price. Traditional SP uses on-course reporters. CSP is often considered a more accurate market price.
Take early price if you think the horse will shorten (or if BOG is available). Take SP if you think the horse may drift in price. BOG makes early prices risk-free on the downside.