The Mathematics
Convert each horse's fractional price to decimal by dividing the numerator by the denominator and adding one. A winning Goliath component returns its unit stake multiplied by all decimal prices in that component. A losing component returns zero. The combination count C(n,k) means choosing k horses from n without regard to order. For this ticket n is 8, and k runs from 2 to 8; adding those counts gives 247. A horse participates in several components, so changing its result can remove many payouts, not just one.
Component counts: 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 fourfolds, 56 fivefolds, 28 sixfolds, 8 sevenfolds, 1 eightfolds
Total stake = 247 × unit stake
Component return = unit stake × product of decimal odds, if every member wins
Total return = sum of winning component returns
Profit = total return − total stake
Worked Example
Worked Goliath example: enter £1 as the unit stake and 2/1 for all 8 horses, giving decimal 3.00 for each. With All Win selected, total stake is £247. The breakdown is 28 doubles × £9 = £252; 56 trebles × £27 = £1512; 70 fourfolds × £81 = £5670; 56 fivefolds × £243 = £13608; 28 sixfolds × £729 = £20412; 8 sevenfolds × £2187 = £17496; 1 eightfolds × £6561 = £6561. Total return is £65511; overall profit is £65264. If exactly two of these horses win instead, return falls to £9 and the overall result is £-238.00. If none win, return is £0 and the full £247 stake is lost. These are ordinary cash-stake returns with no bonus.
How do I enter a Goliath correctly?
Enter one quoted price for each of the 8 selection rows, then enter the amount staked on each individual line in Unit Stake. For example, a 20p unit costs £49.40 overall; entering £20 does not mean a £20 ticket, it means £4940.00 invested across 247 components. The widget accepts fractional prices such as 5/2, and its shared odds parser also accepts decimal numbers. Keep all rows filled even when a horse loses, because the ticket calculation still needs the complete original selection list.
Each row starts on Won, so the first complete result is the all-winners scenario. Click a row's Won button to mark that selection Lost, or use None Win and then switch on only the successful horses. Check the winner count, total stake, and the group-by-group breakdown together. A displayed return includes returned stakes only on successful lines; it does not refund the stakes of losing lines. Compare the final profit with the whole outlay rather than comparing a successful double with its own unit stake.
What makes a Goliath different from nearby bets?
The Goliath is the largest full-cover package in this calculator collection: eight horses and 247 lines without singles. Its seventy fourfolds are the largest group. Moving from a Super Heinz adds one horse but adds 127 stakes, more than doubling the component count.
A 50p Goliath costs £123.50; a £1 Goliath costs £247. Four winners all at 2/1 return £121.50 at 50p per line and still leave a £2 loss. The headline eightfold payout does not describe what happens when only part of the selection list succeeds.
A straight 8-selection accumulator has one stake and requires every selection to win. The Goliath has 247 stakes and retains shorter winning components when other horses lose. That is a trade-off between ticket cost and outcome coverage, not free insurance or proof of better value. To compare fairly, fix a total spending limit first: a £247.00 budget permits £1 per Goliath line or £247.00 on one accumulator. Comparing both at a £1 unit would compare different amounts of money.
How should partial results and settlement changes be read?
Exactly three 2/1 winners generate £54.00 in ordinary Goliath returns at £1 per line, regardless of which losing horses fill the remaining rows. Subtract £247, not the number of successful lines, to obtain the ticket result. With mixed prices, the identities of the winners matter: a double at decimal 2.00 and 3.00 returns £6 per £1, while decimal 4.00 and 5.00 returns £20. A simple winner count cannot therefore determine the payout on its own.
This widget models win-only cash bets with Won or Lost states. It does not settle each way components, void selections, Rule 4, dead heats, free bets, best odds guaranteed or Lucky bonuses. A non-runner is not a loser: under ordinary non-runner rules an affected multiple is reduced, so existing component lines may collapse into smaller bets while retaining their separate stakes. Do not toggle a non-runner to Lost and treat that as bookmaker settlement. Obtain the operator's component breakdown and apply its rules separately.
Popular questions about this calculator
How many bets are in a Goliath?
A Goliath has 247 components from 8 selections: 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 fourfolds, 56 fivefolds, 28 sixfolds, 8 sevenfolds, 1 eightfolds. The count is the number of stakes, not the number of races. At a £1 unit the ordinary win-only outlay is £247, even if some of the chosen horses subsequently lose.
Does a Goliath include singles?
No. Its smallest components are doubles; a lone winner activates no successful line. This determines whether one winner can return anything, but it does not tell you whether the entire ticket has made a profit.
What does a 50p Goliath cost?
A 50p Goliath costs £123.50 win-only because all 247 lines receive a 50p stake. If a bookmaker accepts the same combination each way at 50p per part, the outlay doubles to £247. The widget on this page calculates only the win-only version.
How much does a Goliath return with two 2/1 winners?
At £1 per component, two 2/1 winners return £9. Only the double between the winners pays, at 3 × 3 = 9 decimal. Subtract the original £247 ticket stake to determine the final profit or loss.
Is a Goliath the same as a Super Heinz?
No. The Goliath is the largest full-cover package in this calculator collection: eight horses and 247 lines without singles. Its seventy fourfolds are the largest group. Moving from a Super Heinz adds one horse but adds 127 stakes, more than doubling the component count. When comparing the two, use the same total budget and the same accepted prices. The extra coverage changes both the bill and the partial-result payouts; it is not an automatic financial advantage.
Can one winner cover a Goliath stake?
No. A Goliath has no singles, so one winner gives £0 return at any odds. Even two winners are not guaranteed to cover all 247 stakes. Multiply the winning pair's decimal prices and compare that return per unit with the full component count.
Can I calculate an each way Goliath here?
No. The component names and count describe a win-only Goliath. An each way version has separate win and place combinations and doubles the outlay at the same unit stake. Place fractions can differ between races, and a place-only result is not equivalent to marking the horse Won.
What happens to a Goliath if a horse is a non-runner?
Under ordinary non-runner terms, a void leg drops out of each affected multiple while the component's stake stays in that line. A void single, where present, is refunded. Ante-post conditions can differ. This calculator has no void state, so request a settlement breakdown rather than substituting Lost for a withdrawal.
Does the Goliath calculator include bookmaker bonuses?
No. It calculates base returns at the prices supplied. One-winner enhancements, all-winner bonuses, best odds guaranteed and free-bet stake rules are operator-specific. Read the qualifying conditions and the definition of enhanced winnings before adding an offer, because enhancing profit is not the same as multiplying total return.
Why can a Goliath show a return but negative profit?
A return is money paid by successful components; profit subtracts all 247 original stakes, including losing lines. A 50p Goliath costs £123.50; a £1 Goliath costs £247. Four winners all at 2/1 return £121.50 at 50p per line and still leave a £2 loss. The headline eightfold payout does not describe what happens when only part of the selection list succeeds. The profit figure is therefore the more useful comparison with the ticket's original cost. A calculator illustrates arithmetic; it does not establish a profitable selection strategy.
Official rules and further reading
These operator references explain bet structures and settlement rules. They are not endorsements, and the terms attached to your accepted bet take precedence. Worked amounts on this page are illustrative arithmetic, not live odds or promised outcomes. Only gamble money you can afford to lose; a returns tool does not make a bet safe.