Non Runner No Bet Explained – What is NRNB in Horse Racing?

Jamie Clark

Senior Editor

Updated: 19 October 2023

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Non runner no bet is a horse racing promotion open to all customers that guarantees you a run for your money or your stake returned as cash in full. Often abbreviated to NRNB as it’s a bit of a mouthful otherwise, our experts tell you all about how it works.

What Does Non Runner No Bet Mean?

The NRNB meaning is very simple. If the horse you back for a particular race on betting sites doesn’t turn out on the track, then you’re entitled to a full refund from the bookies. By and large, this deal only applies to wagers placed after final declarations are known.

Among online bookmakers, non runner no bet offers are pretty much universal. Unlike other promotions, this isn’t one that they will withdraw from successful punters. That is because NRNB has the underlying concept of getting a run for your money or your stake back, because you can’t win if a declared horse doesn’t take part in the race.

How Non Runner No Bet Works

It’s fairly self-explanatory, but just to break down the process of how NRNB works and that you fully understand it, these are the steps with what will happen:

Can I Get NRNB on Ante Post Markets?

With the non runner no bet meaning and how it works now clear in your mind, there’s a bit more to say on where and when it applies. The concept of betting in ante post markets is one where by and large you aren’t guaranteed a run for your money. This is because NRNB bet promotions don’t apply to most wagers on future races.

Part of the chance you take with ante-post horse racing betting is a better price as an incentive. You have to decide if the non-runner no bet market is better for you. Ante-post betting odds have their pros and cons with an obvious disadvantage being non-runner rules don’t apply.

In recent years, however, certain UK bookies have made a few notable exceptions to that rule. We should stress immediately that every bookmaker has a different non-runner no bet policy, but the best of them do give these terms among special offers for the biggest horse races and festivals in the annual horse racing calendar.

Biggest Horse Racing Events for NRNB

Only major meetings receive the non runner no bet guarantee for ante-post betting wagers once early closing entries have been revealed. If you think that you’ll receive NRNB months and months beforehand, then think again. At most, you’ll have the terms in place as an offer for certain races at the Cheltenham Festival several weeks ahead of that meeting.

It’s the same for the world’s most famous steeplechase, the Grand National at Aintree with entries revealed in February ahead of its April slot. There are a few Royal Ascot races on the Flat that are early closers too, so you may even find NRNB terms for those as well. Let’s take a look at the big three meetings and races held in the UK in more detail:

Cheltenham Non Runner No Bet

The Cheltenham Festival acts as the championships for the National Hunt code of horse racing. From January onwards, early closing entries come out for events in order of priority and prestige. That means you can get NRNB Cheltenham bets on the open championship races first and foremost. We’re talking about the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup here.

Ahead of the 2023 Festival, the William Hill non runner no bet Cheltenham guarantee on those feature races came into effect from midday on New Year’s Day. No bookie has ever done so at an earlier stage, leaving punters with two-and-a-half months of betting with the protection NRNB affords them. Other firms like Betfred and bet365 were quick to follow suit with major races.

After the championship novice hurdle and novice chase entries come out, the handicaps and other conditions races tend to be last. This means if you want NRNB on the more obscure races like the Champion Bumper, Cross Country Chase or Festival Hunter Chase, then you must wait until late February or early March to get it.

Grand National Non Runner No Bet

No other horse race in the UK strikes a chord with the public quite like the Grand National. Smart, popular bookmakers have capitalised on this wider interest in the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree by offering NRNB terms on the race from either when initial entries come out or the weights are revealed.

There are plenty of Grand National trials after this point in February. The results of those to come shape the market. While NRNB is definitely a consideration for the Grand National with a maximum field of 40 allowed to run, the each way betting terms and getting extra places is even more important.

Royal Ascot Non Runner No Bet

The Royal meeting at Ascot is British Flat horse racing’s major event. There are other big festivals throughout the summer, but none have so much international involvement. NRNB is rarer here but still available on certain races. If you want to bet on the Ascot Gold Cup early, then that and the seven other Group 1 races at the meeting are most likely to have the cover.

From sprints like the King’s Stand Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes to races for three-year-olds such as the St James’s Palace Stakes, Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes, and events for older horses in the Queen Anne Stakes and Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, variety in what you can bet on early without worrying about non-runners is key.

Pros & Cons of Non Runner No Bet Explained

Although the upsides and drawbacks of NRNB looks obvious, there’s no harm in spelling them out for you. One thing punters must realise with any betting offers and markets, is that there will always be pluses and minuses. These are the advantages and downsides of NRNB, according to our experts:

Best Bookies for Non Runner No Bet Offers

You may be looking for a recommendation from among the many horse racing betting sites that provide NRNB. It’s true that some are better than others. In order to standout as better than the rest, it’s about offering these terms earlier on the big meetings discussed above.

To that end, bet365 have a good track record of doing exactly that. It’s their policy to go NRNB on the Cheltenham Festival races and Grand National as early as possible. In the past, non runner no bet bet365 terms have covered every Cheltenham race even before early closing entries have been revealed for some. You can see why they get the thumbs up from us. Other bookies to look out for here include fellow heavyweights Betfred and William Hill.

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Jamie Clark

Senior Editor

Jamie Clark has been with bettingsites.co.uk from the very beginning and penned the very first pieces of content that appeared right here. Known for his horse racing expertise, his strong gambling knowledge comes from childhood where he was surrounded by both horses and betting. The godson of a former on-track bookmaker at Market Rasen Racecourse, Jamie ended up working in the same industry and became Sports Editor of heavyweight bookies Coral for three years before they merged with Ladbrokes. After a successful spell freelancing for other big names in the business, he helped us launch this site with his skills, experience and ability coming in useful. Read long form content across a range of betting subjects from Jamie right here.

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