automation rule for detecting joint second or third placed horses

[biglesdog]

is it possible to add a rule to my automation file to prevent placing a lay bet on joint second or third placed horses in a race. i am trying a forth place laying system and want to ensure that l only lay the forth favourite in a race.

[Jukebox]

Rule type: Place Lay Bet - Applies to selection: in position 4 (sorted in order of favouritism) will pick the runner currently in 4th regardless of whether 2nd and 3rd are joint.
You can add a Relative Odds Condition that The selection's odds are greater than the odds of position 3 (sorted in order of favoritism) to be sure that 4th is 4th and not joint 3rd.

[biglesdog]

Thanks for the information. I do have a relative odds set to make sure that my selection is less than 5th position by 1 tick and greater than 3rd by 1 tick.

[biglesdog]

Out of interest how close to the off can I trigger my rule and still guarantee getting the bet matched?

[Jukebox]

You can never really guarantee a match - a sudden drift of several ticks can easily snap the price away from you in the time it takes to issue the order. This can be especially true in the wispy world of 4th and 5th favorites. You can increase your chances considerably by offering above the current best price - knowing that Betfair will still match you at the best available odds.
How close to the off you can leave it - Horseracing very rarely jumps earlier than the scheduled off time (a recent thread discussed just how rare). If you are going to leave it to the very last moment check that your computer's clock is synchronized. There is of course always 'Take SP' if your liability is £10 or more.