Five Early Antepost Tips For The 2027 Flat Season

Flat racing in the UK, Ireland and France generally runs from April through to November, though the ante-post betting markets for the following season’s Classics etc, are formed as early as the autumn before. 

Our horse racing expert Steven Mullington picks suggests five horses to follow on the 2027 ante-post radar:

1,000 Guineas – Musical Times (7/2)

I was in attendance when Musical Times burst into the next year’s Classic picture with a wide-margin victory in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster, and her price has shrunk even more since her follow up win in the Fillies’ Mile.

The daughter of Lope De Vega overcame significant traffic trouble at Newmarket to land her first Group One victory and she will hold a massive chance in next season’s 1000 Guineas.

2,000 Guineas – Desert Castle (6/1)

The Godolphin colt Desert Castle, trained by Charlie Appleby, originally surged to the top of the 2,000 Guineas market after a three-length victory in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.

Although he was narrowly denied by a neck by Aidan O’Brien’s Darkness Falls in the Group 1 Dewhurst, he surely has to be one of the main protagonists in the Guineas.

Epsom Oaks – Maire Rua (16/1)

Maire Rua made an impressive winning debut at Leopardstown in the July of her two-year-old season. Her performance earned her a ‘Rising Star’ tag after posting a two and a half-length winning margin.

Her stakes breakthrough came in mid-September in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown and she is due to run in the one mile Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes at the Curragh on the 20th October. I would seriously advise you to take her Epsom Oaks price before that race takes place.

Epsom Derby – Abraham Lincoln (25/1)

The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt remains an intriguing prospect for next June given his level of natural talent at this particular juncture in time.

The son of Wootton Bassett was a massive €2.3 million buy at the Arqana sales and he justified that asking price by winning a six-furlong maiden on his debut at the Curragh.

Despite his narrow July defeat in the Superlative Stakes, the ante-post market has kept him firmly in the Derby picture, with punters still keen to follow him.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – Varandir (20/1)

After the departure of Daryz, connections have confirmed that the talented Aga Khan Studs homebred Varandir – effectively their new kid on the block, will stay in training for 2027 with the Arc being the ultimate aim for him.

Trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, the son of Zarak built up an excellent portfolio over middle-distances last season and in 2027 will be aimed at prep races such as the Prix Ganay, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, or even something on York’s Knavesmire before a tilt at the “big one” in Paris.

His current odds of 20/1 in our horse racing betting look very attractive for an early each-way flutter.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*