Legal Eagle wins the Gr1 SA Derby
The Vodacom Durban July Handicap is but a brief 8 weeks away, but there is still plenty of opportunity for borderline candidates to qualify for a run. Anton Marcus has delivered two “definite” runners in Legal Eagle (Derby) and The Conglomorate (Guineas) and we witnessed their long odds tumble for the big event.
If you fancied either of those two or other recent feature winners then you might be aggravated that you never also took the really ludicrously long odds available for the July. Legal Eagle for example was a tantalising 150/1. Possibly you just forgot because the ante post betting game has all but disappeared but for the July, the last bastion of the Ante Post bet.
It’s truly a shame that the event organisers haven’t tried to use ante post betting as part of the marketing of such a big day. What better way to get people involved from early on and keep them watching qualifying events as participants and prices change all the way to the starting gates.
What makes a bet “Ante Post” is that there is no refund if the horse does not take part in the race. Ordinarily bets are placed after the field is confirmed and should your horse be a non-runner for any reason, a deduction is claimed from the winner to refund your bet. So ante post bets are far more risky but often at very big odds compared to payouts available on the day.
Thinking back over the years of gambling on horses, who doesn’t remember a decent ante post strike as one of their favourite horse racing memories, long after the money was spent?
| Open | Current | |
| MAJMU (AUS) | 7/2 | 7/2 |
| FUTURA | 3/1 | 5/1 |
| WYLIE HALL | 16/1 | 6/1 |
| THE CONGLOMERATE (AUS) | 66/1 | 9/1 |
| LEGISLATE | 6/1 | 12/1 |
| LEGAL EAGLE | 150/1 | 14/1 |
| ERTIJAAL (AUS) | 14/1 | 22/1 |
| LOUIS THE KING | 10/1 | 25/1 |
| FRENCH NAVY | 14/1 | 25/1 |
| SIREN’S CALL | 20/1 | 25/1 |
| ICE MACHINE | 100/1 | 25/1 |
| DEPUTY JUD | 50/1 | 33/1 |
| NO WORRIES | 50/1 | 33/1 |
| TELLINA | 40/1 | 40/1 |
| KING OF PAIN | 50/1 | 40/1 |
| PINE PRINCESS | 66/1 | 45/1 |
| POWER KING | 33/1 | 50/1 |
| INARA | 25/1 | 55/1 |
| SAME JURISDICTION | 28/1 | 55/1 |
| AFRIKABURN | 40/1 | 55/1 |
| DYNAMIC | 50/1 | 55/1 |
| CAGIVA | 50/1 | 60/1 |
| KILLUA CASTLE (AUS) | 30/1 | 66/1 |
| HELDERBERG BLUE | 100/1 | 66/1 |
| HALVE THE DEFICIT | 40/1 | 66/1 |
| ARION | 45/1 | 66/1 |
| TROPHY WIFE | 50/1 | 66/1 |
| WHITELINE FEVER | 80/1 | 66/1 |
| AMSTERDAM | 33/1 | 70/1 |
| ATHINA | 40/1 | 70/1 |
| GOLD ONYX (NZ) | 50/1 | 70/1 |
| PUNTA ARENAS | 125/1 | 80/1 |
| ULTIMATE DOLLAR | 150/1 | 80/1 |
| HEAVY METAL | 50/1 | 80/1 |
| JAYYED | 50/1 | 80/1 |
| TAMAANEE (AUS) | 50/1 | 80/1 |
| UNPARALLELED | 50/1 | 80/1 |
| KOCHKA | 100/1 | 90/1 |
| LIGHT THE LIGHTS | 200/1 | 100/1 |
| DYNASTIC POWER | 100/1 | 125/1 |
| THE HANGMAN | 100/1 | 125/1 |
| DANTE’S LEGACY | 200/1 | 125/1 |
| SOLAR STAR | 200/1 | 125/1 |
| BOLD INSPIRATION | 66/1 | 125/1 |
| HOT TICKET | 66/1 | 125/1 |
| JET EXPLORER | 66/1 | 125/1 |
| BALANCE SHEET | 100/1 | 150/1 |
| DE KOCK | 150/1 | 150/1 |
| DOUBLE CLUTCH | 150/1 | 150/1 |
| GREEK LEGEND | 330/1 | 150/1 |
| HEARTLAND | 66/1 | 150/1 |
| RUSHMORE RIVER | 200/1 | 175/1 |
| SABADELL | 100/1 | 250/1 |
| CANDY MOON | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| KINGSTON MINES (GB) | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| RUN RHINO RUN | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| SHEA DEVON (AUS) | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| STORMY ECLIPSE | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| TRIP TO RIO | 150/1 | 250/1 |
| AKII BUA (AUS) | 200/1 | 250/1 |
| HENRY HIGGINS | 200/1 | 250/1 |
| MOUNTAIN MASTER | 200/1 | 250/1 |
| SCOTSNOG | 250/1 | 250/1 |
| MEISSA | 500/1 | 250/1 |
| JUDICIAL | 66/1 | 250/1 |
| RAKE’S CHESTNUT | 66/1 | 250/1 |
| GOGETTHESHERIFF | 300/1 | 500/1 |
| ALL THE BIDS | 500/1 | 500/1 |
