Cheltenham Festival Betting – Offers and Bookie Review
Very few races hold the same level of nostalgia for racing fans as the Cheltenham Festival. Throughout this Cheltenham betting guide, we’ll introduce the best sportsbook covering the festival, and bring you Cheltenham betting offers that you can take advantage of.
Ranking | Bookie | Rating | Bonus | Markets | Pros & Cons | Secure Link | Terms |
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1 | 🥇 Ladbrokes | 5.0/5 | Up to £20 in Free Bets | 100+ Cheltenham Markets | Cheltenham daily specials, Lots of deposit options, Slow customer service | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 4 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. |
2 | 🥈 BetVictor | 4.9/5 | Bet £10 Get £40 In Free Bets | 99+ Cheltenham Markets | Horse racing experts, Top Cheltenham odds, Other sports | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 (odds 2.00+) on any football market within 7 days of registration. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Debit Card/Apple Pay payments only. Click for T&Cs. Please Gamble Responsibly. |
3 | 🥉 Grosvenor | 4.8/5 | Up to x2 Odds | 101+ Cheltenham Markets | Great odds, Fast withdrawals, No free bet | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Exclusive to new members. Offer applies to Sport bets only. Maximum total stake is £10. Each way bets are a maximum of £5 each way (£10 total stake). Valid for 60 days after registration. 18+ |
4 | ✪ bet365 | 4.7/5 | Bet £10 Get £30 In Free Bets | 102+ Cheltenham Markets | Great bet builder function, Numerous Cheltenham markets, Limited offers | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required |
5 | ✪ Coral | 4.6/5 | Up to £20 in Free Bets | 95+ Cheltenham Markets | Cheltenham odds boost, Top live streams, Limited customer service | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+. UK+IRE only. Min first bet £5 at odds 1/2 or more. Tote and Pool excluded. Must be placed within 14 days of account reg. £20 credited as 4 x £5 free bets. Not valid with CashOut. Free bet valid for 4 days. Free bet stake not returned. |
You can see our list of recommended Cheltenham betting sites above. These all offer unique betting offers for the Cheltenham festival. Below, we have chosen the category each bookie performs best in.
Choosing a sportsbook to bet with is more about trust than the objective quality of the product. If you’re looking to achieve great things betting on Cheltenham, then this list of strong contenders is a great place to start.
Best Cheltenham Betting Offers & Free Bets
The best Cheltenham betting offers are those which give you clear value, with fair terms and conditions. In this section, we will give you the best Cheltenham Festival betting offers that you can use throughout the week.
Ladbrokes – Cheltenham Offers
- Ladbrokes Cheltenham Welcome Bonus – Bet £5 get £20 in free bets
- Ladbrokes Extra Place Races – get an extra place each-way
- Best Odds Guaranteed – available at the Cheltenham Festival
- Cheltenham Festival Non-Runner Money Back – Get your stake back if your horse does not start
See the Ladbrokes Cheltenham Festival Section
BetVictor – Cheltenham Offers
- BetVictor Cheltenham Welcome Bonus – Bet £10 get £40 in free bets
- Best Odds Guaranteed – available on all the races at the Cheltenham Festival
- Run for Your Money – get your stake back if your horse falls at the start of a race
- Live Streaming of Cheltenham – Watch the races once you place a £1 bet (most races will be on TV)
See the BetVictor Cheltenham Festival Section
Grosvenor – Cheltenham Offers
- Grosvenor Cheltenham Welcome Bonus – x2 Odds boost on selected bets. Can be used at Cheltenham
- Best Odds Guaranteed – Get guarenteed odds available at the Cheltenham Festival
See the Grosvenor Cheltenham Festival Section
bet365 – Cheltenham Offers
- bet365 Cheltenham Welcome Bonus – Bet £10 get £30 in free bets
- bet365 Bet Boost – Selected bets available for an odds boost throughout the week
- Best Odds Guaranteed – available on the races at the Cheltenham Festival
- Each-Way Extra – You can add or decrease the places paid out on each-way bets
- Non-Runner, No-Bet – Get your stake back if your horse does not start the selected race
- Double Result Offer – You will still win your bet even if your horse wins but is disqualified after the fact
See the bet365 Cheltenham Festival Section
Coral – Cheltenham Offers
- Coral Cheltenham Welcome Bonus – Bet £5 get £20 in free bets
- Coral Extra Place Races – get an extra place paid out on each-way bets for selected races at the Festival
- Best Odds Guaranteed – available at the all the races at the Cheltenham Festival
See the Coral Cheltenham Festival Section
Types of Cheltenham Betting Offers
There are a number of betting offers you can take advantage of at the Cheltenham Festival. The easiest and most popular are the bookie welcome offers, which we have already listed. Below, you can find more.
Festival Price Boosts
Bookies will often offer increased odds on certain races, particularly the bigger ones,like the Gold Cup. Below, are our selected betting sites.
Betting Site | Cheltenham Price Boost |
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bet365 | Daily ‘Bet Boosts’ From 10am Each Day |
Ladbrokes | Daily Odds Boost Token For Race of Your Choice |
Coral | ‘Odds Booster’ on Selected Races |
Non-Runner, No Bet
Ante-post betting is very popular at Cheltenham. However, if you place your bet early, you run the risk of your horse not showing up. In this case, the following bookies offer your stake back.
Betting Site | Number |
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bet365 | All 28 races |
BetVictor | All 28 races |
Ladbrokes | All 28 races |
Coral | All 28 races |
Best Odds Guaranteed
Most bookies offer this nowadays, but it is still good to watch out for. Basically, if you take a price early in the day, and it increases before the race, you will get paid out the better odds. E.g. you place at bet a 6/1, it drifts to 8/1 – you’ll get the latter price.
- Ladbrokes – From 8am of the race day
- bet365 – From 8am of the race day
- Coral – From 8am of the race day
- BetVictor – From 9am of the race day
- Grosvenor – From 10am of the race day
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Roy Brindley – Author & Betting Expert
The Cheltenham Festival is the UK’s premium horse racing festival. This year backing Willie Mullins’ Grade-1 DRF winners to score at Cheltenham is a particularly attractive approach. I recommend taking advantage of the Price Boosts on offer, if they are available.
How We Chose the Best Bookmakers for Cheltenham
Picking the operators to conduct your business with is no easy task. In the following sections, we will explain the process we use to navigate through the vast amount of options and produce results of top bookies based on an objective assessment.
- 1. A high level of payouts coupled with profit potential.
- 2. Top quality promotions dedicated to Cheltenham.
- 3. The schedule of the live streaming.
- 4. Number of markets on the platform.
You can probably tell that we take this task extremely seriously, applying stringent sampling techniques to produce accurate results for out reporting mechanisms. The following sections will brush over each area of performance that we take a keen interest when accessing the quality of Cheltenham betting sites.
Cheltenham Festival Odds
When it comes to the Cheltenham Festival, the most important thing for a punter to look out for at any horse racing betting site is the Cheltenham odds and prices. Throughout the Festival prices will fluctuate, but it is important to keep an eye out. One of the main races is the Gold Cup, you can find the latest Cheltenham Gold Cup odds below.
Horse | Odds | Recommended Betting Site | Secure Link |
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Galopin Des Champs | 4/5* | Grosvenor | Visit Site |
Fastorslow | 9/2* | bet365 | Visit Site |
Shishkin | 7/1* | BetVictor | Visit Site |
Gerri Colombe | 8/1* | Ladbrokes | Visit Site |
LHomme Presse | 10/1* | Coral | Visit Site |
Bravemansgame | 16/1* | Ladbrokes | Visit Site |
Gentlemansgam | 16/1* | bet365 | Visit Site |
Hewick | 16/1* | bet365 | Visit Site |
Corach Rambler | 16/1* | Ladbrokes | Visit Site |
Monkfish | 33/1* | Coral | Visit Site |
The Real Whacker | 33/1* | bet365 | Visit Site |
Nassalam | 40/1* | Coral | Visit Site |
Jungle Boogie | 50/1* | Coral | Visit Site |
Ahoy Senor | 66/1* | Ladbrokes | Visit Site |
Protektorat | 66/1* | Grosvenor | Visit Site |
Conflated | 66/1* | Coral | Visit Site |
As you can see, Galopin Des Champs is once again favourite to win the Gold Cup, hoping for a repeat of last year. Overall, the Cheltenham Festival odds on offer don’t vary so much and you can definitely find some good prices. Just be aware that they will change throughout the weekend, and we will update the latest Gold Cup odds as we get them.
The Importance of Payouts
There is nothing more important for a new punter to a sportsbook than the initial sportsboook payout rates of the betting markets. The first instance we have taken to ensure you get the best value is by calculating the returns on a series of different races and how it affects Cheltenham odds. In the table below you can see what we predict your return on investment to look like at some of the best betting sites.
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- Ladbrokes
- BetVictor
- Grosvenor
- bet365
- Coral
- ..
- .....
- Payout (%)
Live Betting and Streaming
You can watch horse racing through the live streaming functionality that many platforms are offering. But the true nature of the technology is one that extends far beyond the basic needs of the modern-day punter. Within these platforms there are extensive markets available for selection once events have begun, even in a sport such as horse racing, punters are able to leverage the power of in-play betting to their advantage.
Number of Markets Available
There are of course many markets available to be bet upon before the race begins. You can usually define these markets into two separate categories. The exotic bets involve a certain degree of difficulty, and usually return odds much longer than their straight bets counterparts.
The Type of Cheltenham Markets
When it comes to betting at the Cheltenham Festival, there are several different strategies you can adopt to maximize your chances of scoring a win. First and foremost, pay attention to the daily race card. You can use this to effectively plan your bets throughout the day, and not jump into a bet sheerly based on instinct and emotion.
The types of markets vary from picking a winner, to predicting the horses to finish in the top 3 or making a safe and secure bet on a favorite covered by an each-way bet. Below we’ll touch on the two main types in more detail.
Straight Bets
With straight bets the punter has the option to bet on very simple and easy to analyse market types. These are typically a horse to win the race outright, or a horse to finish in the top X amount of places. Usually, a horse with long odds in a densely packed field will be backed with odds of around 12/1, an effective way to pick a winner is to study the form of such horses intensely. field, in the each-way places.
The Win Bet
The win bet is exactly what it says on the tin. By no means an easy market to play on, it relies on a deep knowledge of the horses running and an understanding of the conditions and how this effects the field. But perhaps the most crucial aspect is luck, this is horse racing after all!
The Place Bet
Place bets are made when the horse in question has a particularly strong showing in previous races, but calling it to win would be a bit over optimistic. You can back a horse to finish in the top places as a single bet, or choose a horse to win and cover it with an each-way bet to the same value as we have already mentioned.
The Each-Way Bet
The each-way bet is one of the most popular bets people make at a sportsbook, let alone horse racing. It is so popular that it has redefined horse racing. Punters love this bet because horse racing is obviously a very difficult thing to predict. Horses can be judged against one another and it is not impossible to say generally who the best picks within a field are, but winning the race usually requires a certain degree of luck that cannot be anticipated. The each-way bet allows you to have the excitement of picking a winner, and yet be covered when the luck doesn’t go your way.
Exotic bets on Cheltenham
Those of you interested in exotic Cheltenham betting won’t be too dissatisfied by the generous selection of markets at the five operators we have chosen above. There are a number of ways you can get involved with the exotic bets on the sportsbook. Go in with an open mind, and listen to your heart. As winning one of the bets below is almost never attributed to any kind of scientific process.
The Tricast Bet
There is the Tricast bet which requires you to select three horses who will finish first, second and third. This is a lot harder than it sounds, and successfully calling this type of bet will earn you a huge win. This has become one of the favourite bets of punters who stand on the terraces, and the rewards are handsome. Of course, the chances are extremely low and you only hear the stories of big winners very rarely. So we wouldn’t say you should expect to be a winner, and it’s more of a challenge.
The Forecast Bet
The Forecast bet is a reduced style Tricast bet, you’ll just need to predict the horse that finishes in first place and second place. Predicting these two horses is not the easiest of tasks, but you’ll need to do your due diligence. Of course, it is an easier version of the aforementioned type, thus, you stand a greater chance of winning. Even so, it is still difficult and we’d recommend studying how the horses have been running and the surface they favour, before making your final decision.
Superfecta bet
Perhaps the ultimate exotic bet you can make at Cheltenham betting sites is the superfecta. This massive odds bet will take you through to the jackpot level win categories. But in order to land such a massive bet you have to call the exact lineup of the finishing horses from 1st to 4th place. Making this bet is a massive gamble and trying to scientifically predict these outcomes is not advised.
All you Need to Know about Cheltenham
Cheltenham info | |
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Nome: | Cheltenham |
Headquarters: | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
Year of foundation: | 1815 |
Sponsor: | Ryanair |
Website: | Cheltenham |
Race Type: | Flat |
Surface: | Turf |
Prize Money: | £625,000 |
The Cheltenham Festival is a classic race event that is testament to the culture of British horse racing. There are many things that make this event unique, and punters around the world focus their horse racing fandom on the crown jewel of the race meet, the Cheltenham Golf Cup. It is certainly rival to the Grand National in terms of fanfare and has become a massive event for not only horse racing fans, but the general public too.
The first race of Cheltenham took place back in 1815. This was a time when horse racing truly was the sport of kings: attendees at the first Cheltenham races would have been from the upper echelons of society. Take a look below at a classic example of the races at Cheltenham, and how they have evolved into an internationally recognized event.
Nowadays, the crowd is famed for its roar, and the stands are jam-packed for the races that are held over four days. Enormous amounts of money are bet, and last year nearly 70,000 people attended the opening event. An incredible amount, and just demonstrates the success of this wonderful race, and the prestige it holds with the fans is second to none.
A unique aspect of Cheltenham is that although it is a famous festival, it generally only feature horses from the British Isles, as it doesn’t attract foreign runners. Of course, there have been some in the past, however, in recent times this has not been the case. With the festival continuing to grow, it could change in the near future.
Cheltenham Festival Daily Race Schedule
The Cheltenham Festival 2024 will be held over four days. Tuesday, March 12 until Friday, March 15. The Schedul is as follows:
Time | Cheltenham Day 1 Races |
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13:30 | Supreme Novices’ Hurdle |
14:10 | Arkle |
14:50 | Ultima Handicap Chase |
15:30 | Champion Hurdle |
16:10 | Mares Hurdle |
16:50 | Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle |
17:30 | National Chase Hunt |
Time | Cheltenham Day 2 Races |
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13:30 | Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle |
14:10 | Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase |
14:50 | Coral Cup |
15:30 | Champion Chase |
16:10 | Cross Country Chase |
16:50 | Grand Annual |
17:30 | Champion Bumper |
Time | Cheltenham Day 3 Races |
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13:30 | Turners Novices’ Chase |
14:10 | Pertemps Handicap Hurdle |
14:50 | Ryanair Chase |
15:30 | Stayers’ Hurdle |
16:10 | Plate Handicap Chase |
16:50 | Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle |
17:30 | Kim Muir Chase |
Time | Cheltenham Day 4 Races |
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13:30 | Triumph Hurdle |
14:10 | County Hurdle |
14:50 | Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle |
15:30 | Cheltenham Gold Cup |
16:10 | Foxhunter’s Chase |
16:50 | Mares’ Chase |
17:30 | Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle |
The Best Horses in Cheltenham History
Many fantastic breeds race across the Cheltenham grass, but none have enjoyed quite as much success as the three horses you see in the sections below. These three horses have shown tenacity and exemplified strength, perseverance and guile to outperform all the competition at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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Arkle
A legend of the Cheltenham Gold cup is undoubtedly Arkle, the quick mare won three times consecutively in the 1960’s.
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Best Mate
Best Mate is probably the most prevalent name in Cheltenham Gold Cup history, winning three consecutive Gold Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
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Kauto Star
Kauto Star has made a strong case for legendary status at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, winning twice in 2007 and 2009.
Cheltenham Records
If you’re looking for a deeper insight at the Cheltenham Festival, and expand your knowledge of this event, then the three sections below are a great place to begin your journey. You can quickly realise the stars of Cheltenham, whether you just need some fresh ammunition for horse racing chats down the pub, or you’re looking to impress at the bookies down at Cheltenham Racecourse, it’s a good idea to have the three individuals below in the back of your mind.
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Horse with the Most Wins in the Gold Cup
Golden Miller can only be considered a legend of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, notching up 5 wins in his career during the 1930’s.
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The Leading Jockey
There have been no other great jockeys to outperform the prestigious achievements of Pat Taaffe. The young Irishman won 4 races during the 1960’s.
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The Leading Owner
Dorothy Paget is the leading owner throughout the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, winning 7 titles with 3 different horses.
Cheltenham and Bookmakers Sponsorship
Whether you’re a newly formed horse racing event, or an age-old race like the Grand National, there will certainly be interest from sponsors to promote the event. At the Cheltenham Festival there are some brands that stick out. The main sponsor of the festival often changes from year to year. As for Cheltenham betting sites, Coral horse racing is the main sportsbook to cover this event and features regular special offers for their users in and around the day of the event.
Which Bookies Should You Avoid?
Bookies to avoid include unlicensed and unregulated operators. Those that do not protect you when things go wrong and leave you out to dry. For more information on the best bookies for betting on sports in the UK, visit our homepage.
Facts and Anecdotes about Betting on Cheltenham
There are always occasions when massive bets land and the punters go wild. But the two stories you can see below really take the bacon in this regard. With a massive lottery style competition making one punter exceedingly rich, and a massive outsider taking the race victory in the 70’s.
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High Priced Winners!
There have been some exceptional winners throughout the years at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Most notably is the prestigious efforts of the 70/1 outsider in the 1970’s.
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Punter wins £182K
One lucky punter won over £182K from a £2 bet on the Cheltenham Gold Cup during the 2019 festival. Entering a lottery style bet to predict 6 winners.
He is an experienced horse that has matured, and he has done the talking himself in the last few runs. We are really excited about running him in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
FAQ
Now that we have concluded our Cheltenham Festival betting review, this is your opportunity to reach out and clarify anything that still confuses you. If you still have some burning questions, please read our FAQ below or feel free to send us an email. at info@bestbettingsites.com.
Does every bookmaker cater to betting on the Cheltenham Festival?
Every site we have featured on this page offers extensive betting market coverage for the entire Cheltenham Festival.
Can I watch Cheltenham live?
You can watch the Cheltenham Festival live across several different domains, on desktop and even on mobile at high quality sportsbooks.
How do you bet on Cheltenham?
Betting on Cheltenham is relatively straightforward. Just choose your market, the type of bet, and the bookmaker you want to use and you are all set.
What are the Cheltenham odds this year?
Well, as you know the Cheltenham Festival odds change over the course of the week, however, we have collected a list of the Gold Cup ante-post betting market for your perusal. This will be updated with the latest info.