- 📈 On this page we rank all the best Cheltenham betting sites UK.
- ✅ Get the latest, constantly updated Cheltenham betting odds.
- 💪🏻 Our expert Cheltenham tips will help you make the most accurate Cheltenham bets.
- 💰 We've got a whole host of Cheltenham betting offers including a full NRNB bookies list!
- 🏇🏻 Our detailed horse racing betting guide will tell you all you need to know about this great sport.
Table of Contents
- Best Betting Sites We Recommend for the 2021 Cheltenham Festival
- Cheltenham Betting Offers
- Best Horse Racing Betting Offers
- Full List of 2021 Cheltenham NRNB Bookies
- 2021 Cheltenham Betting Odds, Tips & Predictions
- 2021 Cheltenham Betting Odds
- 2021 Cheltenham Festival Betting Tips & Predictions
- Popular Cheltenham Betting Markets
- Best Cheltenham Betting Sites – Top 10 Ranked
- Cheltenham Festival Tournament Structure
- Cheltenham Betting – Biggest Festival Races to Bet on
- Cheltenham Festival History
- Cheltenham Betting Key Stats
- Upcoming Sporting Events
- Cheltenham Betting FAQs
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
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#1
 bet365
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #ad |
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#2
 Betfair
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10or more bets to receive £20in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. #ad |
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#3
 Paddy Power
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply. #ad |
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#4
 Colossus Bets
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
Colossus Bets will match the value of your first 72 hours of play in bonus funds up to £100 (or currency equivalent). The time starts counting from the point when you make your first real money (not FreePlay) bet and the maximum amount of bonus funds that can be awarded to each new player is £100. You can use your bonus funds to fund any bet into a Colossus pool. Colossus Bets will automatically use bonus funds ahead of cash to fund your bets. You can use a combination of bonus funds and cash to fund a bet. Bonus funds may take up to 3 working days to be credited to your account after the completion of the 72-hour period and you have 12 months to use them. T&Cs apply. 18+ #ad |
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#5
 Marathonbet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New Customer Offer - Open to new accounts only. Deposit £20 and turnover your deposit five (5) times on the Sportsbook - trebles and accumulators (with three or more selections only), minimum odds each selection 1/2 (1.50) - and you’ll receive a £20 Free Bet. Additional deposits may be required in order to fulfil the turnover conditions, which must be met within 90 days of depositing. Bets placed using Free Bets or Bonus funds, or bets that have been Cashed Out, do not count towards turnover requirements. The Free Bet will expire seven days after being credited and can only be placed as a win only single bet on the Sportsbook. Free Bet stake not included in returns. #ad |
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#6
 William Hill
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+. Play Safe. New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. #ad |
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#7
 Coral
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+. UK+IRE only. Paypal & some deposit & bet types excl. Min first bet £5 a odds 1/2 or more. Tote and Pool excluded. Must be placed within 14 days of account reg. £20 credited as 2 x £10 free bets. Not valid with CashOut. Free bet valid for 7 days. Free bet stake not returned. 18+ T&Cs Apply. #ad |
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#8
 BetVictor
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ New Customers only. Deposit, opt in and place a £5 qualifying bet at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of opening a new account; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 2x £10 Free Sports Bets, valid on set events only at odds 2.00 or greater, expires in 7 days. Plus a £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw a max of £250. T&Cs Apply, See Below. Please Gamble Responsibly. #ad |
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#9
 Sportingbet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
18+ | New players only | Min deposit req. £10 ; excludes deposits via PayPal | Max stake £10 | Min Odds 1/1 (2.0) | Max FreeBet £10 | Excl Horse Racing | T&Cs apply #ad |
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#10
 MansionBet
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customers only, min deposit and bet £10 (£20 if E/W bet) from UK Debit card only. Paypal not accepted. Min odds evens (1/5 per multi selection). 4x £5 Free Bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned, no cash out. T&Cs apply. #ad |
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Cheltenham Betting Offers
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#1
Paddy Power
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New Customer Offer. Bet £10 on any race at York, between Wednesday 12th May – Friday 14th May — Get £60 in racing free bets. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. Free bets will be awarded after the qualifying bet has been settled. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply. |
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#2
 SBK
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customers only. Deposit £20 using Debit Card, bank transfer or Trustly. Up to your first £20 of losses will be refunded as CASH within 24 hours of qualifying bet having been settled. T&Cs apply. #ad |
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#3
 Quinnbet
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#4
Betfair
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customers only, bet up to £20 on the Exchange and if your first bet loses, we’ll refund you £20 in Cash. Bet must be placed in first 7 days of account opening. T&Cs apply. Payment restrictions apply. |
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#5
BetVictor
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New Customers only. Opt in and place a £10 qualifying bet at odds of 2.00 or greater on Horse Racing within 7 days of registering; excludes cashed out bets. Receive 3x £10 Horse Racing Free Bets, plus a £10 Gameshow Bonus. Wager Gameshow Bonus 40x to withdraw max winnings of £250. Bonuses expire in 7 days. PayPal and Card payments only. Geographical Restrictions. T&Cs Apply, See Below. 18+ | begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly. |
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#6
Betfair
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply. |
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#7
Paddy Power
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T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY
New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply. |
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Cheltenham NRNB Offers
2021 Cheltenham Betting Odds, Tips & Predictions
The 2021 Cheltenham Festival is due to begin on Tuesday 16th March and end the same week on Friday 19th. Quite rightly billed as The Greatest Show on Turf, the Cheltenham Festival is the highlight of the British National Hunt Horse Racing season. Offering over £4 million in prize money, the festival itself is the biggest of its kind in horse racing, attracting some 250,000 people to the stunning Cotswold Hills for four days of exciting equine action. Of course, this makes for some incredible Cheltenham betting opportunities!
2021 Cheltenham Betting Odds
Below are the latest Cheltenham betting odds for this year’s festival.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner Odds
| Horse | Odds | Bookmaker |
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| Al Boum Photo | 5/2 | Bet365 |
| A Plus Tard | 10/3 | BetFair |
| Champ | 11/2 | Paddy Power |
| Minella Indo | 15/2 | BetFair |
| Santini | 11/1 | Paddy Power |
| Native River | 14/1 | Paddy Power |
| Royale Pagaille | 16/1 | Bet365 |
| Kemboy | 18/1 | BetFair |
| Frodon | 16/1 | Bet365 |
| Lostintranslation | 28/1 | Bet365 |
Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle Winner Odds
| Horse | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Paisley Park | 15/8 | Betfair |
| Sire Du Berlais | 9/2 | Betfair |
| Roksana | 7/1 | Bet365 |
| Flooring Porter | 7/1 | Paddy Power |
| Vinndication | 8/1 | Bet365 |
| The Storyteller | 10/1 | Bet365 |
| Lisnagar Osscar | 8/1 | Betfair |
| Fury Road | 7/1 | Paddy Power |
| Beacon Edge | 20/1 | Betfair |
| If The Cap Fits | 16/1 | Bet365 |
Cheltenham Ryanair Chase Winner Odds
| Horse | Odds | Bookmaker |
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| Min | 4/1 | Paddy Power |
| Allaho | 9/2 | Bet365 |
| Fakir Doudairies | 9/2 | BetFair |
| Melon | 7/1 | Bet365 |
| Samcro | 8/1 | Bet365 |
| Mister Fisher | 17/2 | Paddy Power |
| Imperial Aura | 17/2 | BetFair |
| Tornado Flyer | 28/1 | BetFair |
| Chriss Dream | 33/1 | Paddy Power |
| Kalashnikov | 28/1 | Paddy Power |
2021 Cheltenham Festival Betting Tips & Predictions
Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner Tips
Two times Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo looks set to go off as favourite but, over recent weeks, the movement has been on Champ who is seemingly favoured over A Plus Tard to take down the biggest race in National Hunt racing. Champ, named in honour of the record breaking champion jockey, AP McCoy, comes from Nicky Henderson’s yard and the gelding now a best price of 5/1 which is thinning all of the time. A Plus Tard’s odds are slimming too, just at a slower rate. What we can use as a guide is that A Plus Tard won the Savills Gold Cup at Leopardstown while Champ took down the RSA Novices Chase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival. Caution is advised however as neither of these two contested a race over fences over more than three miles and half a furlong unlike Al Boum Photo who has two wins here and is aiming for legendary status. He did extremely well last year when it didn’t look like going his way but the field this year could be more favourable, especially accounting for the inclusion of Native River and Frodon.
Cheltenham Champion Chase Winner Tips
Day two’s highlight sees Chacun Pour Soi the heavy favourite with a 10/11 price that might be a little too skinny for some bearing in mind that we still have a few weeks to go for they go off and this is a horse that has no previous Cheltenham experience. We turn our attention instead then to Nube Negra. Dan Skelton’s young chaser caught the eye at Kempton over the Christmas period when he landed the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase. That day he lined up alongside former Champion Chase winner Altior, who is also worthy of your consideration here once again should he participate. A winner of the 2018 Neptune Novices Hurdle, Samcro rediscovered his top form when he won the last year’s Marsh Novices Chase last season and, if entered here rather than the Ryanair Chase, could be a recommended runner. He has, after all, won five out of seven jump races and is another who enjoyed the festive season, winning a Grade 1 at Leopardstown.
Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle Winner Tips
Day three’s biggie pits Paisley Park against Thyme Hill once again, with us favouring the latter. This season’s trilogy between the pair currently stands at 1-1 with one left to play. Last year at Newbury it was Thyme Hill who came out on top only for the pair to switch positions in an Ascot based follow-up three weeks later. Going by the bookies, Paisley Park is just a cut-in in the markets but then he was odds-on this time lasty year and blew it entirely, leaving Lisnagar Oscar to nick a surprise victory. It looks very much like becoming a battle between the favoured two. Elsewhere other names to ponder include Sire Du Berlais and Fury Road.
Cheltenham Champion Hurdle Winner Tips
Honeysuckle is the current Champion Hurdle favourite, but it is returning hero Epatante who is looking to make it back to victories. He will need to improve upon his disappointing Boxing Day display where he lost to Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle if he is to achieve his Cheltenham goals. Like us, there will be many put off of Epatante over that yuletide run, meaning Honeysuckle takes precedence. 2017 and 2018 winner, Buveur D’Air, will also be back in the hunt following a 14-month injury break. Concertista is another worth investigating further as is Aspire Tower, while Silver Streak offers running consistency.
Cheltenham Ryanair Chase Winner Tips
The money line is closing in on Min as he in turn closes in on Allaho, the fancied favourite as the point of writing. Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old Allaho might be the favourite right now but last year’s second placer in this race, Saint Calvados, is where our experts are leaning right now. He was unlucky not to win a year ago, messing up on the final hurdle. Had he have cleared it properly, it’s not unlikely he would have gone on to win and he has two years on Min. In the King George too, he jumped well and stayed in touch to Frodon. As for the claims of Min, he is certainly proving popular and his backers are ensuring his price is dropping by the day for a repeat success.
Popular Cheltenham Betting Markets
Over the winter months when the UK jump racing season is in full flow, everything builds towards the Cheltenham Festival, the climax of the national hunt campaign and the biggest horse racing betting occasion in the British calendar. Below we have listed some of the ways you can get involved with Cheltenham betting.
Ant-Post Cheltenham Betting
Ante-post betting is, quite simply, a bet on the outcome of an event that can be placed well before it even begins. While it can generate greater value, betting this far ahead of time does bring risks. If your selection doesn’t run, your stake will be deemed a loser, rather than voided. People often take the risk, though, due to the enhanced odds given as a result of the extra risk attached.
Best bookie for Ante-Post Cheltenham betting: Ladbrokes
Singles and Each-Way betting
An each-way bet is basically two separate bets in one, made up of equal stakes. One half of the bet is reserved to back the outright winner, while the other half acts as a kind of insurance that rewards a place finish for a fraction of the odds. For example, a £5 each way (e/w) bet will cost £10 in total. The first bet is a bet on the horse to win and will be settled at the full odds given, while the second bet is a bet on the horse to be placed. The latter depends on the race’s length and number of runners, and can be anywhere between the 2nd and 5th places. It's usually ¼ or ⅕ of the odds, unless the bookmaker is running a promotion.
Best bookie for Singles and Each-Way Cheltenham betting: Betfair
Forecasts & Reverse Forecasts
A forecastis a bet on the top two finishers of a race, say for example the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which you have predicted the first and second places accurately. Working in a similar way to each-way bets, reverse forecasts are two-stake bets in which you have successfully predicted the top two finishers but have split your stake on them finishing in either order. This means that, as long as your two selections finish in the top two, you will get paid according to whichever order they finish in.
Best bookie for Forecasts and Reverse Forecasts in Cheltenham betting: betfair
Placepots
A placepot goes live for every race meeting in the UK (in this case, Cheltenham) and is operated by the Tote, a one-time UK national bookmaker and pools service that was recently saved from administration. A placepot works by punters picking a horse to place in the first – or last – six races of a meeting. So long as your pick places in each race, your bet will pay out according to a figure generated by the Tote, which is divided by how many winners have also won the pot, similar to a lottery.
Best bookie for placepots at Cheltenham betting: bet365
Accumulators
An accumulator, or an ‘acca' as it is often referred to, is another popular bet that goes very well with horse racing. Essentially, it means to bet on the winner of a race in at least four different occasions. Because the rewards can be so large, there is a growing number of horse racing punters using their horse racing knowledge to predict multiple race winners and scoop potentially huge payouts. Beware, though – unless you have selected an each-way acca, a horse racing accumulator will only pay out if all of your selections win.
Best bookie for accumulators at Cheltenham betting: Betsafe
Other Permutation bets
Betting permutation bets, also known as combination bets, are, like accumulators, multiple selection bets. However, they are broken down into minor bets such as doubles, trebles, four-folds and so on; in addition, if you so wish, you can include singles too.
While all of your picks need to win for a maximum payout, only a number of successful selections, or even one, are required to get a return on your investment. These bets are listed as a Trixie, which is made up of three selections and four bets (3 doubles and 1 treble), and becomes a 7-bet wager named a Patent when the 3 selections are included as singles too.
There are names for the corresponding bets with extra selections as well, such as a Yankee (4 runners), Canadian (5 runners) and a Heinz (6 runners) that, with singles, become a Lucky 15, Lucky 31 and Lucky 63 respectively.
Best betting sites for other permutations in Cheltenham betting: NetBet
Best Cheltenham Betting Sites – Top 10 Ranked
#1 – bet365
#2 – betfair
#3 – Paddy Power
#4 – Colossus Bets
#5 – Marathonbet
#6 – William Hill
#7 – Coral
#8 – BetVictor
#9 – Sportingbet
#10 – MansionBet
Cheltenham Festival Tournament Structure
As ever, Tuesday is opening day of Cheltenham, although it is more commonly referred to as Champions Day. The opening event is the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which features the best young hurdlers around. The Arkle also runs on Day One, as does the Unibet Champion Hurdle, which has in turn been won by some true legends over the years, including Brave Inca, Persian War and Istabraq.
Day Two is known as Ladies Day, and sees the staging of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase which features the fastest two-milers around. This is swiftly followed by the RSA Insurance Novices' Chase, which provides a test for the stayers of tomorrow. Look out too for the Cross Country Chase, with which two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll announced his arrival as a thoroughbred of note.
Thursday is another huge day of thrilling national hunt racing at its finest, boasting not one but two Grade Ones, the Stayers' Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase, while the three-mile Pertemps Network Final is yet another quality charge. On Friday, Gold Cup Day, one of racing’s most sought-after titles is put on the line in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Also taking place on the festival’s final day are the JCB Triumph Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, while the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle rounds off the Festival.
The Cheltenham Festival is the beginning of the end of the national hunt season, along with the Grand National, which takes place at Aintree usually on the first Saturday of April and is followed by the Scottish Grand National. As spring begins to take over, horse racing fans and bettors can look forward to the five classics as well as summer festivals, such as Glorious Goodwood and Royal Ascot. And, of course, virtual horse racing events run all year for fans who cannot wait that long.
Cheltenham Betting – Schedule
Keep your Cheltenham betting up-to-date with our detailed schedule of events for duration of the Cheltenham Festival.
Tuesday, March 16: Cheltenham Day 1
| Time (GMT) | Event | Distance | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.30 | Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 87y | £125,000 |
| 14.10 | Racing Post Arkle Novices' Chase (Grade 1) | 1m 7f 199y | £175,000 |
| 14.50 | Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3) | 3m 1f | £110,000 |
| 15.30 | Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 87y | £450,000 |
| 16.10 | David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 3f 200y | £120,000 |
| 16.50 | Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (Listed) | 2m 4f 44y | £70,000 |
| 17.30 | National Hunt Chase (Amateur Riders' Novices' Chase) (Grade 2) | 3m 7f 147y | £125,000 |
Wednesday, March 17: Cheltenham Day 2
| Time (GMT) | Event | Distance | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.30 | Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 5f | £125,000 |
| 14.10 | RSA Insurance Novices' Chase (Grade 1) | 3m 80y | £175,000 |
| 14.50 | Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) | 2m 5f | £100,000 |
| 15.30 | Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) | 1m 7f 99y | £400,000 |
| 16.10 | Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase | 3m 6f 37y | £65,000 |
| 16.50 | Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) | 2m 87y | £80,000 |
| 17.30 | Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) | 2m 87y | £75,000 |
Thursday, March 18: Cheltenham Day 3
| Time (GMT) | Event | Distance | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.30 | MARSH Novices' Chase (Grade 1) | 2m 3f 166y | £150,000 |
| 14.10 | Pertemps Network Final (Handicap Hurdle) (Grade 3) | 2m 7f 213y | £100,000 |
| 14.50 | Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) | 2m 4f 127y | £350,000 |
| 15.30 | Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 7f 213y | £325,000 |
| 16.10 | Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Handicap Chase) (Grade 3) | 2m 4f 166y | £110,000 |
| 16.50 | Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle (Grade 2) | 2m 179y | £90,000 |
| 17.30 | Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase (Grade 2) | 3m 2f | £70,000 |
Friday, March 19: Cheltenham Day 4
| Time (GMT) | Event | Distance | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.30 | JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 179y | £125,000 |
| 14.10 | Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) | 2m 179y | £100,000 |
| 14.50 | Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m 7f 213y | £125,000 |
| 15.30 | Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) | 3m 2f 70y | £625,000 |
| 16.10 | St James's Place Foxhunter Chase (Grade 2) | 3m 2f 70y | £45,000 |
| 16.50 | Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Grade 3) | 2m 62y | £110,000 |
| 17.30 | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (0-145) | 2m 4f 56y | £70,000 |
Cheltenham Betting – Biggest Festival Races to Bet on
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is the feature race of Tuesday’s Day One, making it the first Grade 1 of the festival and the first of four key championship races at the event. The race is run over 2 miles and ½ a furlong, and takes place on the old course at Cheltenham. Open to horses aged four or older, this race has in the past been dominated by Willie Mullins and Nicky Henderson, two of the most successful trainers at the festival and incidentally worth following when making your picks. Past winners in this championship race include BuveurD'Air, Brave Inca and Faugheen. The Champion Hurdle is a must for Cheltenham betting.
Queen Mother Chase
The feature race of Day Two is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, a Grade 1 championship event run over two miles on the old course. It is the second of four Championship races and has a rich history, making it the highlight of Ladies Day. The race is open to horses five years old and up. Winners in previous years include Master Minded, Altior, Sprinter Sacre and Sizing Europe.
The Stayers' Hurdle
The Stayers’ Hurdle is the headline race of Day Three and, as the name suggests, tests the staying powers of racing’s elite hurdlers. The race is run over 3 miles on the new course and is open to all horses aged four and older. Over the years, this race has been won by some of the best horses in the history of jump racing such as Thistlecrack, Big Buck’s, Inglis Drever and Baracouda.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is arguably the premium jump race in the UK’s National Hunt season. It is an extremely prestigious Grade 1 race that takes place each year, usually on the second or third Friday in March. This Steeple Chase is run over a distance of 3 miles 2½ furlongs and features 22 fences. Only horses five years or older that have a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rating of 130 or more are eligible to enter.
Although classics, such as the St Leger, are reserved for flat races, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is as close as jump racing gets. When compiling Cheltenham betting tips, keep in mind that very much influencing Cheltenham odds is the King George VI Chase, which runs on Boxing Day at Kempton Park. Famous winners from yesteryear include Arkle, Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Kauto Star and Native River, only the last of which never won both.
Cheltenham Festival History
Operated by The Jockey Club, the Cheltenham race course is located on the edge of town, by the famous Cleeve Hill. The modern day Cheltenham Racecourse, complete with recently built grandstand, becomes the centre of the horse racing world for four days each March when it hosts its world-famous festival.
Cheltenham didn’t see its first horse race until 1815, when flat racing was staged on Nottingham Hill. By 1818, this had extended to five races on Cleeve Hill, which inspired the original grandstand to be opened for the following year. Back then, the meeting was based in August, and before long, had been extended to three days with a course officially laid out to match. Soon after, a trophy was added to proceedings, and the first ever Gold Cup was run as a three-mile flat race for three-year-olds.
As the meeting grew in popularity, it attracted the best and the worst of society, the latter of which set the grandstand a blaze in 1829, completely destroying it. In 1831, racing first began at Prestbury Park on the site of the current course before returning briefly to Cleeve Hill. As the turf deteriorated and the popularity of steeplechasing grew, Cleeve Hill gradually fell out of use. Around the same time, racing enthusiast William Baring Bingham purchased the Prestbury Park site, initially with the intention of using the site as a stud farm.
However, by 1902, Baring Bingham had established the modern course and with it, Cheltenham’s first National Hunt Festival, after which it was decided that Cheltenham should be the headquarters for steeplechasing in the UK.
Famous Cheltenham Horses
Istabraq
Istabraq was extremely popular at the Cheltenham Festival because he was a warrior who could display a stunning turn of speed when the vital moment arrived. Winning the Champions Hurdle three times, he might even have won it a fourth in 2001. However, that year’s event was called off due to a national outbreak of foot and mouth disease, probably the only thing that could have stopped this remarkable champion.
Arkle
A horse so popular he received fan mail, Arkle was another horse to have won three Gold Cups. He also collected three Leopardstown Chase wins, as well as the King George VI and two Hennessy Gold Cups over his remarkable career. It was a career in which he won 27 out of his 34 major outings, peaking in 1965 when he was seemingly unbeatable. Even more impressive was the fact that he would often be carrying two or three stone more than his rivals in handicaps – not that it could stop him. The second race of Cheltenham’s first day is named in his honour.
Kauto Star
Once labelled ‘the most complete chaser of the modern era’ by AP McCoy, Kauto Star was a legendary National Hunt horse and the first horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, only to lose it the following year when he came in second, then win it back again the following year. In 2009, he won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park by a record-breaking 36 lengths – such was his overwhelming quality. In truth, Kauto Star had mixed success at Cheltenham, failing to finish in his first run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2006 before scooping the Gold Cup for the first time a year later. His last run in the Cheltenham Festival ended up being his final race, pulling up early in the 2012 Gold Cup to rule out another prestigious win.
New customers only, bet up to €/£20 on the Exchange and if your first bet loses, we’ll refund you €20 in Cash. Bet must be placed in first 7 days of account opening. T&Cs apply.
Desert Orchid
The winner of Gold Cup in 1989, and possibly the most famous thoroughbred racehorse in British history, Desert Orchid was known affectionately as ‘Dessie'. He was a gutsy superstar and, with his grey colouring, eye-catching too, standing out from the rest of the field. Away from Cheltenham, he famously won another staple of the National Hunt season, the King George VI Chase at Kempton, four times. He was later buried at the Surrey course, where he is now immortalised in marble.
Best Mate
The incredible Best Mate won a stunning Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row in 2002, 2003, and 2004, ridden by jockey Jim Culloty. Best Mate never fell at a fence and always finished in the top two, but sadly died in tragic circumstances of a heart attack at Exeter in 2005. He was such a well-loved horse that his death was front-page news, and his ashes are buried by the winner’s post at Cheltenham accompanied by a statue.
Cheltenham Betting Key Stats
- In 1934, Golden Miller became the first ever horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and follow it up with the Grand National in the same season.
- On 25 occasions, an Irish-trained horse has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
- In 2016, Ruby Walsh recorded six victories, which is a record amount of wins in one festival.
- The most consecutive victories by a horse record in any Cheltenham Festival is also six, and belongs to Quevega in the Mares’ Hurdle between 2009 and 2014.
- Katie Walsh became the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race at Cheltenham during the 2018 festival, when she won the Champion Bumper.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Cheltenham Betting FAQs
⚖️ What are the best Cheltenham betting sites?
We're happy to say that the best betting sites for any and all Cheltenham betting are William Hill, Coral and BetVictor.
🛡️ Where can I watch the Cheltenham Festival?
Punters will be able to watch the Greatest Show on Turf on ITV 1 and ITV 4. ITV will also be showing 6 Cheltenham races live every day for the first time ever.
✅ When is the Cheltenham Festival?
The 2021 Cheltenham Festival will take place between Tuesday and Friday, from the 16th - 19th March.
🏆 Where is the Cheltenham Festival held?
The festival takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse in Prestbury Park which is located on the outskirts of Cheltenham, a spa town in the English county of Gloucestershire.
🛡️ What are the big Cheltenham races?
There are four main championship races that headline each of the four days of the Cheltenham festival. These are:
- the Champions Hurdle, which runs on Tuesday, known as Champion Day;
- the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which goes on the Wednesday, otherwise referred to as Ladies' Day;
- the Stayers' Hurdle, which takes place on the Thursday, also known as St Patrick's Thursday whether it lands on March 17 or not;
- the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday (Gold Cup day).
⚖️ Who has the most winners at Cheltenham?
The top two trainers in Cheltenham Festival history are Willie Mullins, who boasts 65 winners, followed closely by Nicky Henderson. In terms of jockeys, Willie Mullins’ favourite Ruby Walsh leads the way, with 58 winners to date at the Festival.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Climaxing in the Gold Cup on the fourth and final day of the meeting, the Cheltenham Festival is an epic week of elite horse racing, boasting the finest display of jump racing in the world. This is a true feast of national hunt racing that can be enjoyed by horse racing obsessives, horse lovers, those that maintain a minor interest in racing and those that simply love to bet. An even greater thing about this festival is that many bookmakers will promote a host of Cheltenham betting offers to take advantage of.
Make no mistake, the Gold Cup, while absolutely glorious, is just one small part of it. It is the fourth of four flagship events that are held over the week of the meet. Among the 28 races taking place, there is also the Champions Hurdle, the Queen Mothers Chase and the Stayers Hurdle to keep an eye on and, if you do your homework, maybe win a little bit on your Cheltenham bets too.
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