Ante-post betting is a term given to betting markets that are formed in advance of the day that the subject of the markets, normally sporting events, take place. Horse racing is the sport that is most associated with ante-post betting. These ante-post markets tend to offer you the chance to get big prices about your selections, as many horses that are quoted in the market won’t line-up on the day, meaning the prices of the horses that do are normally much shorter (but not always.)
The biggest concern as a punter is that your ante-post selections won’t run on the day, and this normally means you lose your money. But that’s the gamble associated with ante-post betting: you can get a big price – but you can also lose your money without getting a run.
When Do Ante-Post Betting Markets Become Available?
This release of ante-post markets varies greatly depending on the importance of races. Ante-post betting on big races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Grand National is often available as soon as the previous year’s race has finished. Ante-post betting for big horse racing festivals such as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood is also normally available months in advance.
Lots of Bookmakers also price up the big races of the weekend after the 5-day entries have been declared on a Monday. These ante-post markets also often offer value, especially if you can determine which horses may or may not run. But, again, beware that you can lose your money if your horse doesn’t run.
These markets often turn into in-play markets after the final 24-hour or 48-hour declarations have been declared. At this stage, you shouldn’t lose your money if your horse is declared a non-runner, but rule-4 deductions may apply to the odds you’ve taken if other horses do not run.
Why Should I Bet Ante-Post on Horse Racing?
Betting ante-post on horse racing is all about getting a big price about a horse you think will run in a big race. One of my favourite recent examples is the tasty 10/1 I got about Envoi Allen to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. I took the price straight after he won the previous season’s Cheltenham Bumper, then watched as his price continuously plummeted before he won at odds-on.
That success doesn’t tell the whole story, as I did have three other ante-post bets for the same Cheltenham Festival that didn’t run in the races I’d backed them for. But I still managed to make a profit from my ante-post bets.
The Cheltenham Festival is probably the biggest source of ante-post bets, as national hunt horses tend to return year after year, meaning we as punters get attached to many of them. The moment one Cheltenham Festival has finished, the bookies are quick to price up the following year’s main events, and punters are happy to reinvest their winnings to get some big prices.
Can I Place Ante-Post Multiple Bets?
If you think getting a big price about one ante-post selection is exciting, then imagine how exciting it is to compile an ante-post multiple bet. It’s amazing how quickly the odds multiply in a lucky-31 or lucky-63, and you could easily have a potential £1 million bet for just a few pounds. But, for every person who lands this sort of bet, there are probably a couple of million shattered dreams.
Most bookmakers are only too happy to accommodate ante-post multiples. Just remember to check the payout limits offered by bookmakers. Many offer payouts of £1 million or £500,000, but you’d be gutted to win your bet and then realise your bookmaker only paid out £50,000.
What Each-Way Terms Will I Get on My Ante-Post Bets?
Most ante-post markets offer standard each-way terms on all races according to the number of runners that are quoted at the time. For example. If there are eight runners, you’ll get 1/5 odds 1-2-3. This can be another aspect of ante-post racing that works in your favour. Just imagine that the race then cuts up to three runners on the day of the race, you’ll be guaranteed to collect at least the each-way part of your bet wherever your horse finishes.
However, you should always check the each-way terms, as some bookmakers may choose to offer different terms if they suspect there will be less runners. For example, a bookmaker may choose to offer ¼ odds 2 places if he things there will be less than 8 runners.
For big handicaps, you’ll normally get ¼ odds 1-2-3-4, while you may even get five or six places for big races such as the Grand National.
One downside of each-way Ante-post betting is that better each-way terms may be available on the day of the race. You may have taken four places on your bet, but some bookmakers may offer enhanced placed terms on the day of the race. However, if you managed to get bigger odds, this may compensate for this.
What Is Non-Runner No Bet?
If you’re looking to bet ante-post on horse racing, another consideration is whether bookmakers are offering a non-runner no bet concession, which is often displayed as NRBB. This means the bookmaker is willing to take your ante-post bet and give you your money back if your horse does not line-up on the day.
This is a great safeguard if your bookmaker is offering the same odds about your selection as other bookmakers that aren’t going NRNB. It’s also worth considering if the odds are slightly lower, especially if you think your horse may have alternative targets or is injury prone.
Non-runner no bet markets are often available a few weeks in advance on the biggest races, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle, etc.
What sports are popular for ante post betting?
Ante post betting is a form of betting where you place bets on events well in advance of the actual date of the event. This type of betting can offer higher odds due to the increased risk associated with predicting outcomes far in advance.
One of the most popular sports for ante post betting is horse racing. Ante post horse racing bets are placed on races sometimes months before the actual race day. This could be for major events like the Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, or the Derby. The allure of ante post horse racing betting lies in the potential for securing better odds, especially if one can spot a potential winner early on.
However, horse racing isn’t the only sport where ante post bets are popular. Football, especially for tournaments like the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship, also sees a significant amount of ante post betting. Other sports events, such as major golf tournaments or tennis Grand Slams, can also attract ante post bets.
In conclusion, while horse racing is arguably the most popular sport for ante post betting, many other sports also offer opportunities for punters to place bets well in advance, hoping to secure favourable odds.
Do Horse Racing Tipsters Provide Ante-Post Tips?
Horse racing tipsters operate in lots of different ways, but some do offer ante-post tips as part of their racing subscription. Just like their tips for daily horse races, their ante-post selections are based on whether they think the ante-post odds offer a value bet. This means the tipster thinks the odds are much bigger than they should be about a horse winning the race in question.
We hope that’s answered your question, what does ante-post betting mean? If it has, you might want to start picking those potential big-priced ante-post selections or compile that big-priced ante-post multiple. If you’ve not yet got the skills, why not check out some tipsters that regularly provide big-priced winners.
