What ante post means, why prices can be attractive and the risks you take before final declarations
An ante post bet is a bet placed before final declarations for a race.
You are backing a horse well in advance, sometimes weeks or even months before the race takes place.
The attraction is obvious. If you identify the right horse early, you may be able to take a much bigger price than will be available closer to race day.
The downside is that if your horse does not run, your stake is usually lost unless the bookmaker is offering special terms such as Non-Runner No Bet, often shortened to NRNB.
Imagine you back a horse for the Champion Hurdle at 16/1 in January.
By race week, the horse is one of the leading contenders and is now 6/1.
If the horse runs, you are sitting on a much stronger price than the day-of-race market offers.
That is the appeal of ante post betting. You are trying to spot the opportunity before the market catches up.
Of course, if the horse misses the race altogether and there is no NRNB concession in place, your stake is gone. That is the trade-off.
