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August is always the merriest time for most Englishmen! For horse racing lovers, it is…
Ante Post Betting Rules in Horse Racing
Ante Post Betting Rules differ between sports in this article we will focus on horse racing betting. Ante post betting is the term used to describe a bet made in the future. The word “ante” means before and the word post is referred to horses at the post before a race. In fact, ante post betting was created as a betting option for those punters who are into horse racing. Bettors would speculate on the outcome of a race and bet accordingly before final declarations are made. Ante post betting is also referred to as future betting because bets are made weeks or even months before the event. Though ante post betting is most popular in horse racing, bookmakers offer future betting on many other sports.
Horse Racing Ante Post Betting Rules
Ante post betting rules in horse racing involves placing a bet before the overnight declaration stage. The declaration refers to the horses that are officially entered in the race and is usually done the night before the race. Bettors sometimes put in their wagers a year before the actual event. They speculate on horses that will become potential contenders and winners. This is the case with big horsing events such as the Epsom Derby.
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It is important to note that there are many risks involved with ante post betting. The timescale of betting in the future presents uncertainties. The biggest uncertainty is a horse unable to race despite bets made on it. The rule “all in” refers to bets still considered valid even when a horse is officially declared out of the race. Why would bettors agree to such a bet? The answer is that there are great odds and rewards for taking on the risk. The risk and reward scale is balanced.
Not all bets are all in, though. There are special exceptions to this rule depending on the racing event. Big racing events such as the Cheltenham Festival have an option of “non-runner no bet” which means that stakes are refunded if a horse does not participate in the race. The odds are lower and therefore less favourable to the bettor than if it was “all in” because the risk of a horse not racing is removed. The adjustment of odds in the event that a horse is unable to race is called “rule 4.” Adjustments are necessary because conditions have changed. An example is a horse, which is favoured to win, suddenly gets injured. The second best horse is now the most favoured to win, but the odds continue to reflect as if it is still the second most favoured horse. The odds would therefore be extremely generous for the bettors, and this is why odds are adjusted for such changes.
Ante post betting rules can also be applied in other sports. The key is that the bet is made on a future event. An example is in basketball. Bookmakers offer futures bets on the next NBA champion before the season officially starts. Future bets are also available on individual performances such as speculating on who will be the rookie of the year. These are just examples of the options available to bettors.
