One way of beating the bookies is using the ante-post market, and in this article, I will be showcasing what horses are still deemed as value bets with less than a month to go in the ante-post market.
For those who are new to horse racing, and might be questioning: What is ante-post betting?
Ante-post betting is an outright market, generally placed well in advance before the event happens. That way you can get some big odds, in the risk that the horse will turn up to the race.
There are always risked attached to this, as the longer you place the bet, if the horse doesn't turn up, you will not get your money back. In some cases, you can get some insane value, but it doesn't always mean you're going to be walking away a winner.
The perfect example of this would be my ante-post tip on Stumptown to win the 2025 Aintree Grand National, tipped up late 2024. I got odds of 50/1 +, and the horse went off at around 10/1 on the day. He didn't manage to win, but it shows the value you can get.
Below are a couple of ante-post bets I still think are worthwhile this close to the Cheltenham Festival:
King Of Answers 33/1 – Ultima Handicap Chase
Finding horses for the handicap is always difficult, and I think it's best to wait for King Of Answers to run on Friday before placing him as an ante-post selection. The reason for this is that Lucinda Russell is having a nightmare time of things at the moment, and if he has a stinker, his odds will drift.
I don't think his odds will drop too much if he were to win tomorrow, so it's definitely best to wait to see how he performs. The stable form is a huge concern approaching the Cheltenham Festival, but you'd like to think that at some stage it will change.
This race in particular has been a very happy place for the stable. They won it twice with Corach Rambler, and then won it again last year with Myretown, who is likely to return to this race and be their main hope.
Lossiemouth 10/3 (NRNB) – Champion Hurdle
It will be mightily disappointing if they send Lossiemouth to the Mares' hurdle, but we've become accustomed to that in recent years with the big connections. People just love to have winners at the Cheltenham Festival, so if that means taking the easiest route, then that is what they'll do.
For the greater good of the racing community, we need to have Lossiemouth turn up in the Champion Hurdle, as this year's renewal stinks! If Constitution Hill could bounce back to form, that would be great, but that's a huge risk if you're backing him. The rest of the field doesn't grab the imagination of the public. The New Lion is a solid horse, and Brighterdaysahead is a lovely horse, and I'm a huge fan of hers. The problem with the latter is that she stunk the place out last year, and I'm getting Apple's Jade vibes about her. She might not handle the track and save her best performances for Ireland.
If, and it's a huge if, Lossiemouth turns up to the Champion Hurdle, I think she goes off favourite. That way, the 10/3 on offer with non-runner, no bet, is definitely worth a punt. If you're feeling brave, you can get 6/1, and if she doesn't run, you lose your stake.
Ma Shantou 8/1 – Stayers' Hurdle
I think at odds of 7/4, you've got to take on Teahupoo, who got beat at the same odds in last year's renewal. On paper, he is the best horse in the race, and if the best version of him turns up, he will likely win, but he showed last year that he can be beaten.
My pick from left of field is Ma Shantou, who I get very similar vibes to Paisley Park from the same yard. This horse has taken a similar route to Emma Lavelle's old stable star, and I thought he was very impressive last time out at Trial's Day, winning by 7L. If this turns into a real stamina test, I could see him staying on the strongest and being a huge problem to the market principles.
GambleAware