Top 33-1 Ante Post Bets for Spring’s Major Meetings

The jumps season remains my betting focus as spring arrives. Flat form in late March and April is hard to judge. Ante-post interest now centres on two big meetings and the twin Grand Nationals.

Key targets at Aintree and Fairyhouse

Prairie Wolf — Randox Topham Handicap Chase, 10 April

Prairie Wolf won at Newbury to make it three wins from his last four starts. The nine-year-old is trained by Joe Parkinson and Sue Smith. Their current strike rate is 38 winners from 201 runners this season, about 19 percent.

The Topham is run over Grand National brush fences and takes place on Friday 10 April. The horse has schooled over National-type fences and suits around two miles five furlongs. He carries a racing weight of 10st 3lbs and prefers ground on the soft side of good. Ladbrokes and Coral were both offering 33-1 with four places for this ante-post play.

Stumptown — Boylesports Irish Grand National, Fairyhouse, 6 April

Stumptown is a nine-year-old known for cross-country exploits at Cheltenham. He also won the Pardubice cross-country contest in the Czech Republic last year. Trainer Gavin Cromwell says the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, 6 April, is the target.

He carries a mark of 149 and could be short on speed for conventional fences. William Hill was quoted at 33-1 each way, paying four places. This makes him a standing ante-post option for the spring major meetings.

Now Is The Hour — Randox Grand National, Aintree, 11 April

Gavin Cromwell prefers Aintree for Now Is The Hour rather than the Irish National. The nine-year-old was supplemented for the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this month. He ran well there, finishing fifth and beaten by less than six lengths by winner Kitzbuhel.

Now Is The Hour won the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park in January. That win included a twist when the leader unseated at the last fence. He is best on very soft ground, so soft or heavy going at Aintree would boost his claims. Bet365 had the biggest ante-post price, 33-1 each way, with five places and NRNB protection.

Current portfolio and recent form

Those three selections are notable for all being nine-year-old geldings priced 33-1. They form a neat set of ante-post plays for spring’s highlight meetings.

• Last weekend: net loss of 1.4 points. Cecilia Star (1pt ew at 7-1) was unplaced. Captain Butler (1pt ew at 10-1) finished fourth, with a small Rule 4 deduction, yielding +0.6 points overall on that bet.
• Pending ante-post wagers: Stumptown 1pt ew at 33-1 (Irish Grand National, 4 places); Prairie Wolf 1pt ew at 33-1 (Topham, 4 places); Now Is The Hour 1pt ew at 33-1 NRNB (Aintree Grand National, 5 places); Grangeclare West 2pts win at 10-1 NRNB (Aintree Grand National).

Seasonal totals and context

Running total for the 2025–26 jumps season stands at +31.185 points. Recent full-season records are mixed across codes.

• 2025 flat season: +84.12 points on all tips.
• 2024–25 jumps: −47.61 points on all tips.
• 2024 flat: +41.4 points on all tips.
• 2023–24 jumps: +42.01 points on all tips.
• 2023 flat: −48.22 points on all tips.
• 2022–23 jumps: +54.3 points on all tips.
• Total across six full seasons of tipping: +126 points.

Filmogaz.com will monitor declarations and markets closely. Odds are likely to shorten for these runners as race day approaches. For ante-post punters seeking value, the trio at 33-1 offers clear targets at two spring major meetings.