am i right if i said to lay a horse on betfair ,it can come 2nd or 3rd or last and still pay??

providing you layed it for a win... yes you are correct.

If you laid it for a place well it would have to not run a place (3rd or worse in field of 7 or less and 4th or worse in field of 8 or more)

golly i must be a bit slow,had a look at the bet fair site and im bamboozled as how it actually works im forever backing nags for the place and they come in 4th

You have to watch the place laying on betfair sometimes there is only 6 or 7 horses running in a race after scratchings and thay still pay three divs.

cheers