Ante post meaning
Horse racing and ante post betting
Ante post example
How to place ante post bets
Ante post meaning
Ante post refers to bets that are placed at least a day in advance of the event starting.
It’s possible to place bets long in advance of a game or event, sometimes as much as a year or more.
Punters use these bets to access longer (increased) odds to gain more value. In the run-up to an event starting, most odds generally shorten (get smaller) leaving the punter with less value.
On the other hand, a winning ante post bet can return a large profit.
Ante post betting in horse racing
Ante post betting can be used in any sport. However, punters typically favour it in horse racing as there are more betting opportunities.
Ante post bets are placed before the final declaration, the point at which the runners are announced, which is usually at 10 am on the day before a race.
You can bet on the winner of a large horse race such as the Grand National up to a year in advance if you wish.
Ante post bets are great for finding favourable odds however, you need to bear in mind that any non-runners will be losing bets and your stake will not be refunded.
This is different from normal non-runners where your bet will be void and your stake returned.
Ante post example
Here’s an example of an ante post bet.
Let’s say that you want to place a bet on the winner of the Football World Cup in Qatar in 2022. This event is a number of years away, yet some bookmakers will still allow you to place an ante post bet on the outcome.
In this scenario, you’d be able to find some very favourable odds for even the most likely teams to win the tournament. It’s difficult to predict the outcome of an event that’s still years away which means the odds will be high.
Who knows what form each country will be in? If you do, it’s time to place an ante post bet right away!
How to place ante post bets
Placing ante post bets is incredibly easy and very similar to placing standard bets.
If you’re looking to place an ante post bet on a horse race, simply head to the horse racing section and look for the Ante post section.
Here’s what it looks like at Bet365: