SP — Starting Price — is one of the most fundamental concepts in Irish and British horse racing betting. Walk into any betting shop and ask for a horse "at SP" and everyone knows what you mean: you want whatever price the horse officially starts at, not a price fixed in advance. For the casual racegoer it is a simple request; for the serious punter, the choice between SP and an early price involves strategy. This guide explains what SP is, how it is set, and when requesting SP makes sense.
What Is the Starting Price?
The Starting Price is the official odds returned for a horse at the moment the race begins — the moment the stalls open or the tape rises. It represents the final market price as determined by the on-course bookmaking market just before the race starts.
SP is an important concept because horse racing prices are not fixed like a football match result market. Prices move throughout the morning, often dramatically, based on market money, trainer confidence signals, weather, track conditions, withdrawals and professional betting operations. The SP is simply the last price — the consensus of the market at the moment it closes.
How Is the Starting Price Calculated?
In Ireland and Britain, the SP is determined through an official returns process. Official SP returners — typically employed by an industry body — sample the prices available from on-course bookmakers at the start of each race and calculate a representative official SP for each runner.
The on-course market is the key: it represents professional bookmakers, betting ring operators and market movers, not just online operators. This makes the SP an unusually good reflection of informed market opinion, particularly for major races with large on-course betting rings.
SP vs Early Prices: Which Is Better?
This is the question Irish punters face constantly. Early prices (also called morning prices or fixed prices) are set hours before a race and can be taken and locked in. SP is unknown until the race starts.
- Early price favours you if: the horse shortens significantly before the off (money comes for it, it becomes a hot favourite). You have locked in 5/1 on a horse that starts at 7/4.
- SP favours you if: the horse drifts in the market (money goes against it, the price lengthens). You requested SP and get 8/1 instead of the 5/1 that was available earlier.
Neither is systematically better — it depends entirely on how the market moves for that specific horse. What you can do is use market signals to inform the choice: if serious professional money is arriving for your selection (the price is shortening rapidly), locking in the early price may be wise. If the market is drifting, SP may deliver a better price.
Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG): The Risk-Free Option
Many Irish bookmakers offer Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) — a promotion that pays you the higher of your early price or the SP. If you take 5/1 early and the horse starts at 8/1, the bookmaker pays you at 8/1. If the horse starts at 3/1, you keep your original 5/1.
BOG removes the downside risk of taking an early price that shortens. It is not offered on every race, every day, or on every bet type — typically it applies to named UK and Irish meetings, on win bets, and not on each-way place parts or accumulator legs. Check the specific BOG terms before placing.
SP Accumulators and Forecast Bets
SP is particularly associated with certain traditional bet types: SP accumulators (all legs at SP), Yankee or Lucky 15 bets placed before the first race with all legs at SP, and forecast bets (predicting first and second in a race). These traditional formats have been staples of Irish betting shop culture for generations and remain popular for their simplicity. 18+ — Gambling Awareness Trust: 1800 753 753, gamblingcare.ie.
Frequently Asked Questions
SP stands for Starting Price — the official odds returned for a horse at the moment the race starts. When you request SP, you receive whatever price is returned without knowing it in advance.
Official SP returners sample prices from on-course bookmakers at the start of the race and calculate a representative official SP for each runner.
SP is better when a horse drifts (its price lengthens) in the market. If you take an early price of 5/1 and the horse starts at 8/1, SP would have been better.
BOG is a promotion where the bookmaker pays you the SP if it is higher than the early price you took. It removes the risk of taking an early price that shortens. Many Irish bookmakers offer BOG on major meetings.
Yes. All major online betting sites allow you to request SP on horse racing. When adding a selection to your betslip, look for the SP option alongside fixed price options.