Trifecta

A trifecta is a bet in horse racing that predicts the first three horses that cross the finishing line in the correct order. The word was first used in this context in the US in 1971, and this usage spread to Australia in 1977, and then to horse racing around the world. Its etymology derives from a Spanish-American word 'perfecta', which was a bet that precedes trifecta, and which predicts the first and second horse in the correct order. Since the 1970s, the usage of the word trifecta has been extended beyond the context of betting in horse racing, and can now mean a trio or triple of virtually anything e.g. "The Conservative Party in the UK has completed a trifecta of election wins by winning three in a row."