There is a hell of a lot of choice when it comes to betting on Cheltenham with hundreds of licensed online betting sites now available. This is good on one hand as competition results in lower bookie margins, meaning better odds and offers, however it also makes finding the right bookmaker, bet types, prices and promotions to use a little harder.
In this section we break down major bet types, such as lucky betting and totepool, and regular promotions, such as faller insurance and free bets for winners, to ensure you find the right markets and get the value from your bets. We also tell you the best places to place these wagers and get the best offer terms.
We know not everyone who bets on Cheltenham has the background knowledge of a horse racing pundit. In our guides and glossary therefore you can read about all of the major grades, classifications, distances and much more information about National Hunt racing. We also give you details of how to read a race card, what happens when your horse is disqualified, what rule 4 is and more.
Cheltenham Existing Customer Offers
Horse Racing Money Back
Horse racing is a sport where predicting the winner is harder than in most other sports and this is why the odds tend to be good, the favourites win only around 30% of the time and this tells you everything. Being liable to upsets means having insurance that gives you your money back can be a sesnible idea in the long run. On our page we list horse racing money back promotions for Cheltenham, the Festival and horse racing in general. Most of these give you a refund if your horse is second, beaten by a length, etc., usually as a free bet but on occasion, especially during the festival, in cash. It has even be known to see money back in cash if you lose during the event.
Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
Best Odds Guarantees work a little bit differently to normal for the Cheltenham Festival and so we have a separate dedicated page for it. Normally BOG is only available on the day the races are held on but for the Festival many bookies will offer best price guaranteed months in advance for feature races and weeks in advance for all races.
Tote and Totepool Betting
Fed up of bookies taking all the profits? Try totepool betting. The tote is in fact one of the oldest ways to bet on horse racing, originally established by the UK government in the 1920's. Now owned by a consortium, and syndicated to other bookies, bets are placed in a pool and shared between the winners with the operator taking a set commission. Totepool bets generally pay better than fixed odds.
Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
Lucky 15, 31 and 63 bets are a type of full cover bet. These are effectively packages that cover all the possible single and multiple bets from a given number of selections, very popular in horse racing. A Lucky 15, for example, is a package of 15 bets on 4 selections (4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and a 4-fold). Don't just place these bets with anyone however as there are some great bonuses to be had.
Non-Runner No Bet
Not everybody realises that you are only covered for sure by non-runner no bet if you bet on the day of the race. Placing your wagers before this time is classed as ante-post and with most of these bets you do not get your money back if your horse is a non-runner. There are lots of good reasons to bet ante-post however and some bookies do offer no-runner no bet ante-post, especially for the festival.
Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
Before you bet on horse racing, especially televised and high profile races, consider that you could be earning free bets or bonuses each time you back a winner. We look at some of the very best free bets for winners offers from the likes of Betfair that over time will genuinely add to your winnings.
Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
Before the best price guarantee it was difficult for punters to know when to place their bets. If you take the starting price and it drifts in you would be annoyed and if you took the fixed price and the odds drifted out you would also be peeved. Many bookies now guarantee to match the SP if your on the day fixed price is lower. Some bookies offers are however better than others, find the right BOG offer for you by visiting our best price guide
Looking for ante-post best price guarantees specific to the Cheltenham Festival? See our dedicated page.
Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing
This is a great value offer giving you your stake back, usually up to £25, if your horse falls, is brought down or unseats the jockey. Depending on the weather other factors fallers can number quite highly and so why bet without it?
Useful Betting Tools and Features
Live Streaming of Horse Racing
There really is little reason these days to bet without watching a race live. With so many good online betting sites now providing live streams of horse racing from all over the world why would you bet with a bookie who didn't. The average cost to watch is just £1, with some sites offering live broadcasts for just 50p, or £0.25 each way.
Live In Play Betting On Horse Racing
Live betting is at the point now where it is regularly overtaking pre-event wagers for big events. Despite misconceptions it is possible to bet live in play on horse racing, that is if you bet with the right site. You can also stream live alongside and cash out your bets during the race itself. Cheltenham has plenty of long races where in play betting will be useful.
Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
Cash Out, partial cash out, auto cash out, and other tools are very useful and can be highly profitable, when used well. Now available for horse racing multiples, and even for singles during live races with some bookies, this is an exciting betting tool for Cheltenham. Cash out also however carries high commissions, make sure you understand the system first.
Bet Types, How To Bet & Betting Rules
Ante-Post Betting On Horse Racing
Betting ante-post is something most people avoid due to the risks of non-runners, injury and poor place terms. Advance betting on horse racing can however yield good returns, especially if you can use knowledge well. For big meetings, such as the festival, you can now reliably get NRNB and even BOG on ante-post bets months in advance, making these bets very attractive.
How To Bet On Horse Racing
There is so much more to betting on the nags than a win single or each way bet. In our how to bet guide for horse racing we look at more complex bet types such as full cover bets and forecasts, accumulators and pool betting such as totepool. We also look at different prices (e.g ante-post vs early prices) along with how to get the best out of betting features and offers such as best odds guaranteed and cash out.
Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
Knowing the official rules about what happens to a bet if there is a disqualification or non-runners can help prevent any nasty surprises if you don't get paid out or your winnings are less than you thought they'd be. We explain what happens in these events and we also look at rule 4 and other Tattersalls Rule of Racing to give you the heads up on what will happen to your wagers.
Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
Gone are the days of needing to sit down with a Racing Post before placing your bets. Today betting sites offer a huge range of news, statistics, tip and blog features that can give you far more than any newspaper could. Of course not all sites offer these services and those that do are certainly not all equal. It is important to trust the information you are given.
Horse Racing & Cheltenham Guides, History & Trivia
Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
Trainers are arguably the most critical factor in horse racing, you can have the best horse in the world on paper but that doesn't matter if you can't get the best out of them on raceday. Any trainer who wins at the Cheltenham Festival deserves accolade but there are a small group of trainers that have not just won at Cheltenham but have done so year after year after year. On our page we celebrate these elite trainers and their achievements.
Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
Riding a winner at the Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest things a jockey can do in horse racing and anyone that manages it should be given huge applause. There are, however, a number of jockeys over the years that have ridden not just one winner but have won all the big races, lots of times. On our top 5 festival jockeys page we give special mention to this elite group of horsemen who set the benchmark for future hopefuls.
Accessibility & Disabled Access At Cheltenham
Cheltenham racecourse can certainly be put into the top bracket when it comes to accessible courses. They have worked hard to make as many areas as possible accessible to people with mobility issues and this is reflected in the 1000's of people a year that visit the course with reduced mobility. On our page we look at accessibility at Cheltenham in general and for the Cheltenham Festival.
Biggest and Best Female Trainers In Horse Racing
There is less of a disparity between men and women when it comes to trainers compared to jockeys. Only recently have female jockeys been giving relative parity with men, however, female trainers have been training winning horses for a long time. Still, it is an uphill battle for top women trainers as the world of horse racing is still elitist and chauvinistic, we look at the biggest, best and most successful female trainers.
Celebrity Race Horse Owners
The majority of people that own horses do not do it for the money, in fact, very few owners make money out of owning horses. Unless you lucky enough to own the next Frankel, Red Rum or Tiger Roll then owning horses will likely cost you. Therefore most owners do it for the prestige and glamour attached and of course one of the groups that courts this lifestyle the most are celebrities, who can afford to lose money for the lifesyle it gives them.
Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet On Horse Racing?
Looking in from the outside you might assume that no one involved in racing is allowed to place bets on the sport but in actual fact the rules are very different depending on the persons role. Jockeys are heavily restricted from betting, as you would expect, but for trainers and owners the rules are more flexible. There are also some employees, such as vets and drivers, that cannot bet but others that can, so what are the rules and why?
Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
No one can argue that Cheltenham racecourse is by far the biggest visitor attraction in Cheltenham but at the same time you cannot forget that Cheltenham is nestled in the heart of Gloucestershire and the Cotswalds and is one the prettiest places to visit in the world. The historic spa town can trace its history to before Roman times and visitors are spoilt for choice for things to do and places to visit. If you plan to go the races and have some spare time read our guide for the best things to do in and around Cheltenham and Gloucester.
The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
There are obvious links with the royal family and elite flat racing, such as Royal Ascot, but it is not common to think of royalty being associated with jump racing. The Cheltenham Festival is however an exception to this and has long has an association with the monarchy, going back to Richard III.
Indeed, one of the biggest races of the festival is the Champion Chase, which is named after the Queen Mother, who loved the festival perhaps more than any other family member in history. Read our page to find all the links between the royals and Cheltenham.
How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
Being a bookie isn't exactly seen as a difficult persuit, hence the phrase 'you've never seen a poor bookmaker', but in reality being an on-track operator can be one of the hardest jobs in the industry. The rise of online betting with better odds and concessions has meant on-track bookies are decreasing and the remaining independents are struggling with expenses are also rising. So, just how much does it cost to be a bookmaker at a racecourse?
How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
Racehorse owners often buy horses for many reasons other than to earn money out of them. It is actually difficult to make a good living out of racehorses and so most owners do it for the lifestyle it brings or for bragging rights. Many owners are also syndicates, hoping they will find the next Red Rum and make a mint. How much money do owners actually make and how much does it cost to be the owner of a racing horse?
How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
Most people with even a passing interest in horse racing could name one or two trainers these days, some have become celebrities of the sport, the likes of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot. How much does a trainer actually earn though? Not just the top level trainers either, how much can a middle-of-the-road trainer expect to earn from a yard in a month? It may not be as much as you would have thought.
Cheltenham Race Types & Jump Racing Classifiations
To the uninitiated the amount of different race types run at Cheltenham and in National Hunt racing in general can be very confusing. There are differences in fences (hurdle, chase, cross-country), horses (novice, juvenile, mares', etc.), jockeys (e.g. amateur, conditions of the race (e.g. handicap), there are also different classifications depending on what the race is for (cup, trial, trophy, championship, etc.). To help you understand different types of races we have separated all the races at Cheltenham into their individual classifications with details on each.
Cheltenham Hotels
The Spa town of Cheltenham situated against the picture perfect English Cotswolds in the background is a popular place for people to visit at any time of year, but during the Cheltenham Festival the 270,000 racegoers over the week massively outnumber the 115,000 population. This can make finding a good place to stay difficult, epecially as prices ramp up. Our hotels page shows you where to stay in Cheltenham to suit a range of budgets and needs.
How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
Being a jockey can be a tough life with a hell of a lot of travelling and rides needed to earn a living. While some elite jockeys can earn millions the fact is most riders need to participate in hundreds of rides to get a decent wage. On our page about jockey earnings we look at how much jockeys get in fees vs prize money and sponsorship and what an average jockey can reasonably expect to take home in a year.
Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
Jockeys are not usually known as being rich sportspeople in the same way we think of footballers, golf or tennis players. Many jockeys spend decades grafting for a living and often need to take other jobs on retirement, there are however a number of jockeys over the years that have earned a very tidy amount from riding horses around a track. In our article we look at the richest jockeys in the history of the sport.
How To Get To Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham is arguably the biggest jump race meeting in the world attracting around 70,000 spectators each day during the festival. Cheltenham, however, isn't the biggest town in the world and travelling can be difficult, especially if you leave it late. Whether you want to drive, fly, take a helicopter or limousine then we've got you covered. Read our travel guide for the best transport options.
Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Races Still Running Today
You might think the result to the question 'what is the oldest Cheltenham race' would be a one line answer, however, it is not actually that simple. When looking at the oldest Cheltenham race still running today there is no clear definition as some of the oldest races have had gaps or have been run at other courses. We therfore look at several races that could be classed as the oldest.
Which Is Bigger, The Cheltenham Festival Or The Grand National?
Most true racing fans would say there is no contest here, Cheltenham is bigger than the Nation as it is an entire 4 day meeting full of the worlds best grade 1 jump races. That being said you can't ignore the fact that more people watch and bet on the National compared to any other horse race in the world, so which is bigger?
Cheltenham Racecourse History
What is it about Cheltenham and its racecourse that made it what it is today, how did racing get started there, how did it come to hold the biggest jump racing festival in the world? It wasn't always smooth racing either, with disruption that even lead to the cancellation of horse races at the course in the early days.
Why Has The Cheltenham Festival Become So Big?
We take it for granted that the Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious jump race meeting in the world, yes other individual races are perhaps bigger, but no meeting has the sheer amount of quality races as Cheltenham does. No other meeting generates as much money either, for both the local economy and for the bookies - so why, of all the festivals has Cheltenham grown to be the pinnacle of them all?
Cheltenham Festival History
Prestbury Park has seen racing in and around the site from the early 19th century, if not before, however serious races were not held at Cheltenham until the 20th century. Therefore, how did we go from sporadic racing in the area to the worlds biggest jump racing festival in the course of a few decades?
Irish vs British Trainers & Stables At Cheltenham - Do The Irish Actually Have The Edge?
It has been said in recent years that Irish horses and trainers have come to dominate high level National Hunt racing, the Cheltenham festival in particular. Is that actually true however, or is it is just big trainers like Willie Mullins that make it seem that way?
The Big Cheltenham Festival Quiz
If you think you know how many pints of Guinness are drunk at the festival or when the event first started then why not try our 50 question quiz on the worlds greatest jump racing meeting.
Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
Cheltenham racecourse is one of the oldest and best race venues in the world, hosting some of the most elite jump races and steeped in history. The racecourse has however played other important roles in its time such as when it was used as a voluntary aid hospital for returning soldiers in WWI and as a training barracks in WWII.
National Hunt Jump Racing Distances
National Hunt jump racing distances are longer than for flat races, usually between two and four and a half miles in length. Within this there is a big range, with national hunt flat races (bumpers) being the shortest, hurdles tending to be intermediate with the longest races being steeple chases. Older horses tend to run longer races (stayers) as these have more stamina.
How to Read a Race Card
If you have not had much experience reading race cards before then at first glance the array of letters, numbers and terms can look indecipherable. Luckily race cards really are not that complicated and once you've understood the basics you will be able to digest a lot of information about a race, horse, jockey or trainer from a quick glance.
Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
Horse racing has many handicapping rules that define how the age of a horse, the combined weight of animal and jockey and the sex are accounted for. Depending on the type of race, time of year, and even the experience of the jockey, handicapper add weight to try to balance a field as equally as possible.
History And About National Hunt Racing In The UK
Why is jump racing referred to as National Hunt racing? Why are there so many different grades, classes, distances, conditions and names when it comes to the sport? Our guide will help you understand where National hunt hump racing came from, the various classifications as well as the difference with flat racing.
A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
The only problem with watching and betting on horse racing is there are a lot of terms and phrases used that could stump even knowledgeable punters. This is due to the long history around racing alongside those in the know wanting to keep it that way by preserving the language. Check out our A-Z glossary for the meaning of various horse racing terms.
Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing
Horse racing is the oldest formal sport in Britain, unfortunately this long history has resulted in a myriad of grades and classes when it comes to jump racing. It is not always easy to tell from the name of a race what level to expect. Fear not we explain everything you need to know about National Hunt racing grades and classifications.