Betting On The Cheltenham Festival
The four-day meeting highlighted in all horse racing fans calendars is fast approaching. It is the most exciting meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar, with only the Grand National in April being able to boast a more significant prize purse. Fans will flock to Cheltenham Racecourse in March to see all the biggest names in racing. The standout event of the festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place on the final day.
The festival is renowned for being one of the biggest betting occasions of the year, with hundreds of thousands of punters expected to attend throughout the week. However, there are many ways for punters unable to attend the event to bet too, and there are numerous welcome offers for bettors to take advantage of.
Cheltenham Festival Schedule
Champion Day
Tuesday
The festival’s opening day is the day that all the punters will be counting down to, as the anticipation grows to hear the iconic Cheltenham roar. The standout events on the opening day come in the form of four Grade 1 races, with three prestigious titles up for grabs. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle will get the action underway, with Klassical Dream likely in contention for reclaiming his title. The Racing Post Arkle takes centre stage after, while the two final races are the Unibet Champion Hurdle and OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.
Get more in depth betting news for day one’s races here – Cheltenham Festival Day One Betting
13:30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
14:10 – Arkle Challenge Trophy
14:50 – Ultima Handicap Chase
15:30 – Unibet Champion Hurdle
16:10 – OLBG Mares’ Hurdle
16:50 – National Hunt Challenge Cup
17:30 – Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase
Ladies Day
Wednesday
It’s Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival on the second day of action. It is often the day of the week where people are most smartly dressed, but that won’t be able to take the attention away from the superstars on the track. The name on everyone’s lips on the second day of action will be Tiger Roll, as he will make his return to the track in the Cross Country. The back-to-back Grand National winner will be the heavy favourite for success. Meanwhile, there will be four more Grade 1 races, including the Queen Mother Chase, which Altior has won for the past three years. The Ballymore Novices’ Chase, RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase and Champion Bumper are the other Grade 1 races.
Get more Ladies Day betting news for each of the races here – Cheltenham Festival Day Two Betting
13:30 – Ballymore Novices Hurdle
14:10 – RSA Steeplechase
14:50 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle
15:30 – Queen Mother Champion Chase
16:10 – Cross Country Chase
16:50 – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
17:30 – Weatherby’s Champion Bumper
St Patrick’s Thursday
Thursday
St Patrick’s Day ascends over Cheltenham on the festival’s penultimate day, with green outfits being seen all over the concourse. Last year’s action on this day was one of the most memorable days of racing, showcasing what makes horse racing a loved sport around the country.
Frodon won the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase, which meant that Bryony Frost became the first woman jockey to achieve a Grade 1 victory at the festival. That success was followed by an emotional victory for Paisley Park in the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle. The action gets underway with the JLT Novices’ Chase, with Lostintranslation looking to improve on his second-place finish in 2019.
For mobile betting on day 3’s races, get more detailed information here – Cheltenham Festival Day Three Betting
13:30 – Marsh Novices’ Chase
14:10 – Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle
14:50 – Ryanair Chase
15:30 – Stayers’ Hurdle
16:10 – Brown Advisory Plate
16:50 – Mares Novices Hurdle
17:30 – Kim Muir Chase Cup
Gold Cup Day
Friday
The final day of the festival is when the most prestigious jumps prize is on offer. All eyes will be on the Magners Gold Cup, as Al Boum Photo looks to win for the second consecutive year. That success last year was the first time that trainer Willie Mullins has won the race. Clan Des Obeaux and Delta Work are also leading fancies. The perfect way to warm up for the main event is the JCB Triumph Hurdle, which was won by outsider Pentland Hills last year.
For the latest mobile betting news on the cold cup and day 4 races, go here – Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup Day Betting
13:30 – JCB Triumph Hurdle
14:10 – County Handicap Hurdle
14:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15:30 – Cheltenham Gold Cup
16:10 – Foxhunter Challenge Cup
16:50 – Grand Annual Chase
17:30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Hurdle
Betting Markets Available At Cheltenham
There are various ways for punters to stake their money on the biggest races at the Cheltenham Festival. Understanding all the markets is the crucial element that all new punters should know before placing their bet, as some can be more complex than others.
Ante-Post Betting
The vast majority of punters that use horse racing apps all year round take advantage of the ante-post market. These markets open a whole year before the festival takes place and is typically the best place to get the ultimate value on their choices for the biggest races.
As the festival draws closer many of the leading sportsbooks such as Paddy Power, SkyBet and Ladbrokes open their ‘No Runner-No Bet’ markets. These are an excellent avenue for betting, and if your choice doesn’t run in the race that you have bet on, then you receive the stake back.
Win Or Each-Way
For amateur bettors who just want to stake their money at the festival while it is on, then this is the best way to do it. Punters can put their stake on a horse that they believe will win the race, and they will get the returns should their selection win. If it doesn’t win, then the stake is lost.
However, if you are betting on a horse with higher odds, then it could be worth taking advantage of the each-way market. Here, punters can get some money back should their selection finish second or third. Each-way promotions for the Gold Cup are common, with many of the leading sportsbooks offering extra places so punters should keep an eye out for these.
Forecast/Tricast
If you’re more experience with betting on horse racing, then these are the markets where you can get extra value. The Forecast is a good betting market for value. Still, punters will have to correctly predict the horses that finish first and second, in the correct order. The Tricast is very similar to the Forecast. Instead of getting the first two finishes right, punters must correctly bet on the horses that finish first, second and third in the selected order.
Match Betting
Horse racing is all about the best horses going head to head in the biggest races. The matched betting market allows punters to stake their money on which horse will win out of two of the leading fancies. If a punter bets on a particular horse to win, then it doesn’t matter if they come first, as long as they beat the horse that you have bet on it to beat.
Top Jockey/Trainer
A popular bet that lasts for the entirety of the Cheltenham Festival centres around the people that will end the week as the leading jockey and leading trainer. Top jockey and trainer will be an interesting market this year, as Ruby Walsh has been historically the man at the top of the jockey charts. Punters will put their stake on the trainer or jockey that they believe will top these charts. If they end the festival with the most winners, then the punter will be rewarded with the returns.
Names To Watch Out For At The Cheltenham Festival
Lostintranslation
Lostintranslation was one of the leading fancies heading into the Cheltenham Festival last year. During the festival though, his form slowly deserted him when it mattered. Punters are already hoping for another head to head meeting with Defi Du Seuil, but he could instead opt for the Gold Cup. Over recent weeks there has been a shift in his preparation that indicates that it could be targeting the marquee event. He won excellently at Carlisle on his return, before matching that with a second consecutive win at Haydock against Bristol De Mai. With Robbie Power on board, he is undoubtedly one to watch.
Tiger Roll
It has been the route that Tiger Roll has favoured for the two Grand National successes, and he will once again make his return to the track in the Cross Country. There is an air of Usain Bolt about Tiger Roll, and it looks incredibly difficult to see him being beaten either at Cheltenham or Aintree. Fans will be waiting to see the tiger back on the track, and there is no doubt that he won’t disappoint on the grandest stage.
Envoi Allen
Every year there is a star born at the Cheltenham Festival and this year that looks set to be Envoi Allen. He looks set for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and is already the hot favourite in that market. The Gordon Elliot-trained star has won all eight appearances on the track, with that record also including success at last year’s festival in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Bryony Frost
It isn’t just the horses that can become stars at the festival and Bryony Frost is walking proof of that. This year could be a massive year for the jockey, and her love affair could continue with more Grade 1 success. She could be the leading jockey at the festival, but her week will likely hinge on Frodon’s defence in the Ryanair Chase. She will be a popular pick with punters all week.
How To Watch Cheltenham Festival Live
All of the action from the Cheltenham Festival will be live on ITV, with the Opening Show on ITV 4 giving an insightful look into all the action for the coming day. SkyRacing will be the only place to watch the final two races on every day of the festival. Alternatively, punters that lay stakes on horses during the festival will be able to watch the race they have bet on through live streaming on many of the leading sportsbooks apps. Many sportsbooks offer this service, but the most prominent are Paddy Power, bet365 and William Hill.