2016 2000 Guineas Ante Post Betting Preview PT 1

As we are now just over a week away from the new year most of the attention is on the jumps action that picks up significantly around the holiday season but it’s also worth keeping in mind that we are only four months or so from the kick-off of the widely-anticipated flat season. The 2000 Guineas is always the first classic to go and this year’s is going to be an especially interesting one in some respects since we already have an absolute stand-out favourite. 

At the moment several bookmakers have listed Aidan O’Brien’s Air Force Blue as the odds-on selection for the big mile contest at Newmarket. He’s only got a single blemish on his career record and that was at Royal Ascot this year when he finished second to Buratino . 

Air Force Blue had been campaigned mostly at the Curragh before making his Newmarket debut last October in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes when he was able to romp home by a convincing three length margin when sent off as the 4/6 betting favourite by the punters. He boasts entries in the Guineas as well as the Irish Guineas and also has himself booked in for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby as well which runs in late June of 2016. 

Right now for the Guineas you are looking at best price of about 5/4 but there are more than a few bookmakers who have him floating at a 4/5 listing now and that’s likely because he will be taking very heavy volume already from those who think he’s a lock for the first classic of the new year. 

The simple fact remains that he is likely gettng played heavily in accumulator bets with a number of different bookmakers already as punters pile onto some of their long-range forecasts for 2016 and thats why he could be experiencing such a short price at certain locations.