The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious and highly anticipated horse racing meetings in the United Kingdom and worldwide. This page is designed to be your guide for the four-day event. Discover all the races part of the National Hunt calendar as well and learn the Cheltenham betting specifics.

Nowadays, placing wagers on horse races is quite an easy task, especially if you are aware of the best venues for that. Our experts always keep an eye on the UK market, trying to deliver the finest and most secure Cheltenham betting sites Here are our current picks:

  • Tote
  • Bet365
  • PaddyPower
  • Ladbrokes
  • William Hill.

We’ll highlight the best Cheltenham betting offers divided into different categories. For example, some punters prefer hefty bonuses, while others prefer free bets. The top bookmakers also offer valuable features, like Cash-Out, live streaming, and multiple bets options. Finally, learn the odds and how to calculate your potential profit for each race!

Cheltenham Betting Offers

The Cheltenham betting deals differ from bookie to bookie, but once you get used to the jargon, you’ll be fine. The top operators only ask you to complete the registration of your account and verify your identity to provide you with free bets, most of which you can use on Cheltenham races.

Other bookmakers are even more generous but require their members, new and existing, to make small deposits. For example, you can get free bets by simply depositing and wagering £5 or £10. Other types of Cheltenham betting offers are the welcome bonus, promotions, and cashback deals. Remember to check on the wagering and minimum odds requirements.

We have carefully checked all betting offers Cheltenham available for British punters and wish to point your attention to a few online bookies:

  • Betfair
  • Ladbrokes
  • Bet365
  • Betway
  • William Hill.

They are licensed, secure, and offer competitive odds on live and pre-race wagering and brilliant bonuses to choose from!

Cheltenham Betting Odds

Cheltenham Festival betting is identical to wagering on the Grand National. Both are National Hunt events. The odds show the probability of a racehorse winning the respective race. In most cases, these coefficients are equal, but some bookmakers stand out.

Before starting with your Cheltenham betting, you should know the favourites, the long-shots, and how much you can win. The odds are usually displayed as two numbers and a slash in between. They represent the potential profit for the shown bet. For example, 20/1 means that you’ll win £20 for each £1 wagered.

You can use an online calculator to transform the odds into percentage probability. If the price of a horse is 1/10, that means 91% to triumph, while 100/1 promises a massive profit, but the horse has just 1% to win. The average Cheltenham betting odds on the best sites are usually around 29%.

How to Bet on Cheltenham?

The last step before completing your Cheltenham betting ticket is to decide what type of bet you are going to place. The most popular ones are the Straights – Win, Place, and Show. You can also combine two or three of them in multiple bets and win in more ways if your favourite finishes first.

The top Cheltenham betting sites offer exotic bets as well. Exacta is when you pick the first- and second-placed horses in exact order. If you add the third-placed, too, it’ll be a Trifecta and Superfecta if you include the fourth-finished pair. Other popular exotics are Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick4, etc.

Placing a wager at the top betting sites Cheltenham offers is easy! After your account’s verification, simply choose which race you want to bet on. You’ll see the odds for each type of bet and some useful features that might help you decide. Arrange your betting slip, enter the stake amount and confirm all!

Historical Info and Interesting Facts About The Cheltenham Festival

Where it All Started

Besides being among the most prestigious horse racing events in the UK, the Cheltenham Festival is also quite old. Its origins can be traced back to 1860 when the National Hunt Chase was introduced for the first time. It was held at Market Harborough, where today, spectators can enjoy the Dingley Races.

The Cheltenham Festival’s original name was Grand National Hunt Meeting, with the word “Festival” mentioned about 14 years later. The Morning Post, Daily Mail, and other respected tabloid newspapers refer to the event as the “National Hunt Festival”, which is entirely inaccurate, actually, from a modern perspective. However, Cheltenham was not its location back then!

In the beginning, the races, part of the event, were held at different tracks within the country. It’s a coincidence that after Market Harborough, in 1861, the chase was at Cheltenham Racecourse. In fact, Warwick Racecourse was much more commonplace for the meeting, in the late 20th century.

After 1861, the Festival was staged back in Cheltenham as late as 1904 and 1905. Preparations for it started a few years before, with the construction of a totally new track at Prestbury Park. It was officially established in 1902, but some improvements were made in the following years, so it hosted only minor horse races.

The huge interest of racegoers was the main reason for the meeting to take place at Warwick Racecourse again from 1906 to 1910. During that time, more major improvements took place secured by Messrs. Pratt and Company. A new stand, a fourth one, was raised to increase the facility capacity and make it suitable for major racing events.

Moreover, miles of drain was built-in to keep the ground dry and ready for races even in cases of storms and long rainy days. The paddock was enlarged to 35 saddling boxes, an almost 100% increase, allowing larger fields in the upcoming races. Those improvements, including the enclosures’ tar pavings, convinced the National Hunt Committee.

The Grand National Hunt Meeting came back to Cheltenham at Prestbury Park to stay for good. Back then, it was a three-day racing event, with six chases and hurdles for each one. In fact, the ancient tradition was only broken in 2005, with the introduction of the Cheltenham Gold Cup Day.

Notable Events

Nowadays, the Cheltenham Festival consists of nearly 30 races – hurdles, steeplechases, and bumpers. But of course, some of them are much more ancient and attractive to the thousands of racegoers each year. Some are even among the oldest horse races in the United Kingdom, a country that adopted the sport so long ago!

On each of the four Festival days, there is a climaxing event that takes spectators’ breath away. Winners became champions and pocket the heftiest purses. These races are four and the reason why an extra day was added to the Festival in 2005. Here are the most notable horse races part of the Cheltenham Festival:

  • Champion Hurdle – usually scheduled in the middle of Champion Day’s programme (Tuesday). It’s a Grade 1 hurdle race, currently sponsored by Unibet. The bookmaker offers some pretty sweet Cheltenham betting bonuses. The Champion Hurdle is open for four-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies and goes over a distance of two miles and a half furlongs.
  • The Champion Hurdle was inaugurated in 1927 and as of today, has eight hurdles to be conquered by the equines. It’s the Triple Crown of Hurdling final leg and usually enjoys a massive attendance. Hatton’s Grace is the horse with the most wins (three), but Annie Power holds the winning record of 03:45:10.
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase – Wednesday is the Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival, and the two-mile steeplechase is the grand event. It originated in 1959, and 13 fences need to be jumped. Currently, the main sponsor is Betway, another great online bookmaker, where punters can place the best Cheltenham bets and get brilliant bonuses!
  • The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the second day’s feature race and provides plenty of thrill to the audience. It’s run over the absolute minimum distance and is the shortest steeplechase in the National Hunt calendar. The British-bred Badsworth Boy has three wins, and the top time is 03:48:49 by Sire de Grugy.
  • Stayers’ Hurdle – the oldest Cheltenham Festival championship race. It was first held in 1912 and is the main event on the third St Patrick’s Day. It is stretched over three miles, and four-year-old and up horses must go through 12 hurdles. Another prominent bookmaker offering exquisite Cheltenham betting offers, PaddyPower, sponsors it!
  • The Stayers’ Hurdle is also a Grade 1 turf race, like the rest of the Festival’s championship races. The Paul Nicholls-trained Big Buck’s won four consecutive wins between 2009 and 2012. It was ridden by the legendary Irish jockey Ruby Walsh. The fastest winning time was 05:36 by Bacchanal in 2000.
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup – originated in 1924, and it’s the highlight of the Festival today, sharing the longest distance with the Foxhunter Chase. The track is over three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs, and there are 22 fences to the end. However, the steeplechase was once created to be supportive of the County Hurdle (Grade 3 National Hunt).

Some trainers use the Cheltenham Gold Cup as a warm-up for the National Hunt! Still, it remains the Grand Finale of the Festival and is scheduled for the last day. Some of the finest racehorses competed and won the trophy, including Arkle, Kauto Star, Best Mate, and Golden Miller (record five wins).

The Races

Nowadays, the Cheltenham Festival full race card includes 28 races in total. Four of them are ungraded, including the Foxhunter Chase, which is sponsored by St James’s Place and covers the same distance as the Cheltenham Gold Cup – three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs. It’s usually held also on Friday before the Liberthine Mares’ Chase.

If you get yourself in Cheltenham in March and you are a fan of horses and races, you must undoubtedly save a day or four to visit the Festival. The race cards of each day are incredible, and there is plenty of tie between the chases for some additional entertainment. Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Champion Day (Tuesday) – three steeplechases to visit – Arkle Challenge Trophy, Festival Trophy Handicap Chase, National Hunt Challenge Cup, and four hurdles, including the Champion Hurdle. The others are Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, and Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap. The schedule includes four Grade 1, one Grade 2, and two Grade 3 races.
  • Ladies Day (Wednesday) – two hurdles to notice – Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle and Coral Cup, and three chases. Besides the Queen Mother Champion Chase, check out the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. The card includes the Champion Bumper and Cross Country Chase (XC). Ladies Day offers four Grade 1 races and two Grade 3.
  • St Patrick’s Day (Thursday) – four fences again and three hurdles. Three races are Grade 1, two – Grade 3, and one – Grade 2. Let’s not forget the ungraded steeplechase Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Pay attention to the Stayers’ Hurdle, Golden Miller Novices’ Chase, Pertemps Final, Festival Trophy, Craft Irish Whiskey Co. Plate Handicap Chase, and the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup Day (Friday) – besides the main highlight of the afternoon, the capping day offers Grade 1 (2), Grade 2 (1), Grade 3 (1), and Ungraded (2) races. The programme starts with three hurdles – Triumph, County Handicap, Spa Novices’, and ends with another one – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap. The Gold Cup, Foxhunter, and Liberthine Mares’ steeplechases are in between.

Most Successful Horses at Cheltenham

British horse racing fans are certainly not suffering from a lack of top-quality thoroughbred horses in Cheltenham Festival’s history. Perhaps you noticed the Grade 1 Arkle Challenge Trophy as one of Tuesday’s opening events. The two-mile chase is named after the legendary Irish-bred champion. Arkle has 27 wins, including three Cheltenham Gold Cups.

Golden Miller is another fable equine who holds the absolute record on the Festival. Ridden by four different jockeys, it won five consecutive Gold Cups, from 1932 to 1936. Golden Miller also triumphed in the Grand National in 1934, becoming the only racehorse to win both premier steeplechases in the UK.

Another brilliant racehorse, with at least three Cheltenham Gold Cups in its collection, was the deeply loved Best Mate. It took 14 wins and 7 seconds in 21 races before its unexpected death while racing for the 22nd time! Best Mate is immortalised with a life-size statue at the racecourse, like Arkle and Golden Miller.

And when describing giants, we can’t miss Mill House and Kauto Star. Both geldings have TimeForm ratings of 1991 and won several Cheltenham Festival races, including the Gold Cup. Kauto Star even has two trophies of that chase. Let’s not forget Denman, who won it in 2008. It’s also a two-time Hennessy Gold Cup winner!

Leading Jockeys

At the end of the Cheltenham Festival, it’s time for evaluation. Jockeys in the best form receive rewards, and the one with the most victories over the four days will become the Leading Jockey. Paul Townend is the one on top in 2022, taking five wins, including in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

This was a double-up for Paul Townend after his triumph in 2020. Rachael Blackmore, who won the 2022 Gold Cup, finished 2021 with six wins in four days. He also won the Champion Hurdle for the second year in a row! However, another jockey will ever remain in Cheltenham Festival chronicles as a record holder.

Ruby Walsh became the Leading Jockey in 2004 and 2006, from 2008 to 2011, and from 2013 to 2017. He registered 46 wins during those years, with a record of seven in 2009. In that year, he won two championships – Queen Mother Champion Chase and Gold Cup with Master Minded and Kauto Star, respectively.

The Cheltenham Festival is proud of two female jockeys who rode winners at the event. The first one was Caroline Beasley in 1983. She won the Foxhunter Chase on the back of the eight-year-old Eliogarty. Four years later, Gee Armytage went even further by winning against professionals. The first amateur female jockey to achieve that!

At the tender age of 21, she won the Kim Muir Challenge Cup on Tuesday and Mildmay the Flete Challenge Cup on Wednesday. She rode The Ellier for the first win and Gee-A for the second. Gee’s brother Marcus is also a famous jockey! He managed to win the National Hunt in 1990.

Successful Trainers

Just like Ruby Walsh, the Cheltenham Festival has its thoroughbred racehorse trainer superstar – Willie Mullins. He trained 10 of the 2022 winners, setting a massive record. Mullins has 88 victories from the Festival, including nine championship wins. He became a leading trainer for the first time in 2011.

In 2021, Nicky Henderson took seven wins and beat him, as Gordon Elliott did in 2017 and 2018, with six and eight first places, respectively. Willie Mullins was the best trainer in the 2013 – 2016 and 2019 – 2022 periods. Paul Nicholls is another legendary trainer from the Festival, with 46 wins.

He became the Leading Trainer five times in a row (2006 – 2009) and seven times in total (1999, 2004). If we limit the races to the Gold Cup, then Tom Dreaper is the record holder with five winners. Basil Briscoe had one winner only – Golden Miller, but the fable thoroughbred won it four consecutive times!

How to Bet on the Cheltenham Festival

As we already mentioned, many premium bookmakers support the event and guarantee the purses of most races. Brands like PaddyPower, Ladbrokes, Betway, and Unibet surely provide high-quality services on-site and online. But of course, as a modern punter, you can pick from a much wider pool of options.

Besides finding a trustworthy bookmaker to place your wager with, we suggest spending some time and learning the specifics. Betting on horse races is more tricky than common sports wagering. You need to keep track of all horses, knowing their strong and weak sides.

Before deciding on your ticket, watch out for the morning warm-ups and get as much information as possible for each entry. After all, it’s not that different from doing sports research.

The next step is to decide what type of wager you are going to make. We suggest the Straight options for novice punters, such as Win, Place, Show, or a combination of them. Thus, you can win in multiple ways if your favourite actually wins the race! Other options are also available, of course!

Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta are the most popular exotics, offering you the chance to win big if you are a gambler. Predict the first two, three, or four horses in the exact order, and win big! Finally, events like the Cheltenham Festival are particularly suitable for multi-race bets, such as Double Down.

When you are all done, search for the best horse price on the market. If you are at Cheltenham Racecourse, compare the in-person odds with those online. Sometimes, you can boost your profits with some special bonuses and promotions available only at the best sites. Pay attention to the exclusive Cheltenham Festival betting offers!

Horse-Welfare

The concern about the health of race horses is a subject that worries many people involved in the industry. It’s not a new issue, actually, and many organisations are constantly trying to push the regulators and the British Horseracing Authority in particular. The injuries and fatalities in recent years have increased many times over!

The dark record was from 2006 when 11 horses died! As a result, the Cheltenham Racecourse management decreased the number of entrants to some races in an attempt to limit horse collisions. But unlike flat sprints, hurdles and steeplechases are more dangerous due to the obstacles. The fence at the hill’s top was re-sited!

This was the obstacle with the highest horse-fallen rate anywhere on Cheltenham’s New Course. Three horses had to be euthanised in 2012 after fractures or bone breaks. Two more died until the end of that year’s Festival! BHA finally stepped in after the 2018 event and six more horse fatalities.

A review was published later the same year with 17 recommendations for improvements and mandatory changes. They do not refer to the Cheltenham Festival only but to the entire ump racing within the United Kingdom. Despite the new measures and pre-race veterinary control, three more equines died in 2019, and BHA prepared another review.

Cheltenham Festival Cancellations

The only year when the Cheltenham Festival was completely cancelled was 2001. The reason was a viral foot-and-mouth disease. The outbreak across Great Britain could have risked the lives of many horses, so the entire event was postponed for a month in April. However, there was a case of that viral disease found locally.

That increased the threat significantly, and the whole meeting was called off. This was the first full cancellation of the Festival. During the years, some races were abandoned due to heavy storms or other reasons, and sometimes even the whole race cards were postponed. The most recent case dates back to 2008!

The second day was repealed, but the races were rescheduled for the capping two days of the event. Of course, this is the place to mention the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and UK’s lockdown. Well, that doesn’t affect the Festival as it was held from the 10th to the 13th of March.

The government advice was not honoured, and the meeting started at a point when too many things were still uncertain. For example, the coronavirus spread was classified as a pandemic on the 11th of March. The full lockdown, on the other hand, was ordered on the 23rd. More than 250,000 racegoers visited the 2020 Festival.

Attendance

2022 was the year with a new attendance record! The official statistics showed an outstanding 280,627 visitors in total over the four days of the Festival. The crowd on the opening Champion Day was 68,567, with 2,000 more than the previous record in 2019.

St Patrick’s Day and Cheltenham Gold Cup Day were also record-high, with attendance of 73,754 and 73,875, respectively. The racegoers’ interest is on the uptrend if we look at the graphics in the past several decades. The only exception is 2008 for the cancelled day, as we mentioned a while ago.

However, due to many complaints, new records are not expected in 2023 or in the years after. The Cheltenham Racecourse management will give a try to an experiment and will capp the attendance to 65,000 per day, or a possible maximum of 260,000. That should increase the quality of the experience!

At the same time, millions watched the Cheltenham Festival on TV or via the hundreds of live streams directly from the course. The operator that broadcasted the meeting announced 1.6 million spectators only during the last day. The numbers peaked on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as well.

Facts & Figures

A new record was set in 2022 in terms of prize money. The Festival’s total budget was raised again to a massive £6.12 million. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highest valued race with a purse of £625,000. It’s the second richest jump contest after the £6 million Grand National.

Unlike other major horse racing events around the world, the Cheltenham Festival is rarely successful for non-British and non-Irish equines. Several French-bred horses, however, managed to win some of the main races. In 2002 and 2003, Baracouda won the Stayers’ Hurdle, with jockey Thierry Doumen on its back.

Dawn Run was an Irish-bred thoroughbred race mare who left a distinctive mark in the jumps. In 1986, it finished the famous double – Gold Cup & Champion Hurdle. Moreover, Dawn Run is the only mare to complete the hurdle treble, winning those races in England, Ireland, and France, in 1984.

Quevega is another record contestant, with six consecutive wins over any of the races within the Festival. Trained and jockeyed by other legends – Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh, it managed to win the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle from 2009 to 2014. The horse’s incredible jumping skills have also been proved in the World Series Hurdle.

The shortest distance to be covered during the four-day Festival is two miles. Three jumps are held over that length – Arkle Challenge Trophy, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase. The Gold Cup and Foxhunter Chase are on the other end, offering three miles, two furlongs and 70 yards of jumps.

The Cheltenham Festival was cancelled in 2001 due to a dangerous disease outbreak. This was the only non-warfare reason to stop the meeting! It was also cancelled fully or partially during World War I and World War II. Due to stormy weather, Ladies Day was rescheduled in 2008. All races, nevertheless, have been held!

An interesting fact is the amount of travelling before and during the Festival. Ryanair reported that more than 20 extra flights are scheduled only between Dublin to Birmingham. Furthermore, 100 helicopter flights are planned for each of the race days. The Cheltenham Racecourse offers car parking for over 40,000 vehicles!

Finally, the information about catering is really impressive. Fifteen restaurants, 30+ temporary kitchens, and more than 70 mobile food supply units will service the racegoers. Even more breathtaking is the size of the temporary bar counters – over eight furlongs, according to the official statement. This area is mainly services by college students.

In four days, more than 60,000 meals are served, 10,000+ tons of cheese, 5,000+ tons of salmon, and 50,000+ bread rolls are consumed. Around 12,000 gallons of tea and coffee are expected to be served during the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

Glossary: Know Your Cheltenham Jargon

The glossary of horse racing can be quite confusing for fans or punters with limited experience. Some of the terms used in this article and referred to the Cheltenham Festival, in general, can be used for other events and meetings as well. Here are some of the most used words and phrases:

  • Cheltenham Bet – refers to placing wagers not just on the Gold Cup steeplechase but on any race held over the four days;
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting – refers to a type of a bet or wagering in general on the Gold Cup race in particular;
  • Cheltenham Ante Post Betting – placing a wager on a horse or race, part of the Festival, before the market is opened. So you can make a profit if the price goes up and the favourite wins;
  • Bumper – a flat race run by horses bred for jumps. The Cheltenham Festival has one such event on its calendar – Champion Bumper on Wednesday;
  • Steeplechase – a lengthy horse race, usually above three miles, in which runners must jump over fences and ditches;
  • Hurdle – another National Hunt jump competition. It’s usually shorter than the chases, and obstacles are lower and more flexible. The hurdles must be of a minimum height of three and a half feet;
  • Fence – an obstacle to jump over in a steeplechase horse race. Fences are usually four and a half feet high and end with a synthetic “brush”;
  • Cross-Country (XC) – a lower grade race or endurance test for checking the horse’s speed, stamina, and jumping abilities. There’s one XC during the Festival – Cross Country Chase over two miles and seven furlongs;
  • National Hunt – a type of horse racing held in the UK, Ireland, and France. It’s more lengthy than the flat sprints and includes jumping fences, ditches, and hurdles;
  • Feature Races – those events in the Cheltenham Festival calendar that are with the highest grade and are in the spotlight;
  • Ruby Walsh – a legendary jockey who came from Ireland and was 11 times “Leading Jockey” of the Festival. He has 59 wins from the meeting;
  • Willie Mullins – a fable trainer with 88 Cheltenham winners in its record. He became a “Leading Trainer” nine times;
  • Prestbury Park – the place where Cheltenham Racecourse is located. A nice place to live, very close to Cheltenham, known for its SPA in Gloucestershire County;
  • Arkle – a legendary horse with 27 wins, including three Gold Cups. It’s the horse with the highest TimeForm rating in history – 212;
  • Best Mate – three times Cheltenham Gold Cup winner;
  • Golden Miller – five times Cheltenham Gold Cup winner;
  • Dawn Run – Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup double winner;
  • Double Down Bet – pick the winners of two races from the same race card. If the first selection is successful, the turnover will feed the second one. Both need to be successful to cash out;
  • Exacta & Trifecta Bet – wager on the first two or three finished horses, in the exact order to win massive;
  • Purse – the total net budget of a horse race. It usually includes prize money for the first several runners. The Gold Cup has the biggest purse at the Festival.

FAQs

Where Can you bet on The Cheltenham Festival?

Nowadays, Cheltenham betting is easy and takes no more than a few minutes. Pick one of the licensed and most reputable online bookmakers and place your wager. The best sites offer competitive odds, great features, including live streaming, and useful bonuses. Don’t miss the odds and win boosters to make an optimal profit!

Which is the best betting site for The Cheltenham Festival?

Although that is rather subjective for most punters, we always strive to suggest the best betting sites for Cheltenham races. On our page, you’ll find notable bookmakers boasting excellent reputations. Explore their platforms to learn all the rules and requirements, together with the top Cheltenham betting offers!

How do I place a bet on The Cheltenham Festival?

Bet on Cheltenham by simply creating an account on one of the top-recommended bookmaker sites. Check the odds and race card, and pick your favourites. Decide your bet type (Win, Place, Exacta, etc.) and how much you are ready to spend. Use a bonus or a booster for the ultimate Cheltenham Festival betting experience!