One ante-post gem in muddling period

OCTOBER and November are curious months for punters.

It’s a muddling time when everyone makes the transition from the end of the Flat season to the start of the jumps racing campaign.

Yesterday was British Champions Day and that usually sparks the end of the Flat interest, but it’s still wise to pay attention to great meetings. The Breeders’ Cup in America, Doncaster’s Vertem Futurity meeting and the Melbourne Cup in Australia are three to certainly look at.

Last week at Chepstow was a good way to get your eye in for the other code but it was not a betting heat.

Cheltenham’s October meeting starts on Friday and that’s probably a good place to start when getting stuck into the season. The Grand Sefton at Aintree and Down Royal’s Champion Chase are two races next month that really whet the appetite over jumps.

However, ante-post markets for the jumps term look very unappealing at this stage. Mentioning the Cheltenham Festival on social media this early is met with scorn or adulation. There’s a long way to go until then even when the journey has not begun for most. But people do need something to get excited about and if it’s the Festival then so be it.

But I’m willing to look even further into the horizon for value and I can’t understand why KYPRIOS is 40-1 (Coral) for next year’s Arc. This year’s champion stayer will stay in training and Aidan O’Brien has tried the trick before when Order Of St George placed when Found led home a 1-2-3 for O’Brien in the 2016 Arc.

Kyprios won it all last year and a prep before Royal Ascot, the Irish Leger and a shot at the Arc could make appeal next season. He’s won over slowly run two-mile races and the attritional nature of the contest will suit. Goes on any ground, tough as teak and last year’s renewal was poor. He’s vulnerable to the Classic generation but I’m willing to roll the dice at 40s in the hope that O’Brien could do the same.