The Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites for 2025

By

Benedict Somerset

Last Updated: 10, March 2025

With the Cheltenham Festival fast approaching (11 March – 14 March), finding a good bookie for wagering on the event is crucial. Here’s the roundup of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites with top odds, free bets, and extensive market coverage on one of the most significant international horse racing events.

We offer a list of the most exclusive Cheltenham Festival betting sites along with detailed reviews so you can find the ideal bookmaker for the event. You can also find top race stats, information on the event and available betting markets, and a full race schedule so you don’t miss out on betting opportunities.

A List of the Best Betting Sites for the Cheltenham Festival

The best Cheltenham Festival betting sites provide an exceptional online gambling experience by offering the top odds, event promotions, and extensive betting markets. Our experts found the bookmakers listed below to offer all these features and more.

  1. William Hill—The Best Site for Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Overall
  2. PaddyPower—Has the Best Special Markets on the Cheltenham Festival
  3. Highbet—Enjoy Early Betting Lines on All Cheltenham Festival Races
  4. Jeffbet—Features Competitive Odds on the Ultima Handicap Chase
  5. Winner Casino—Unlock the Most Impressive Welcome Package
  6. BoyleSports—Delivers Unique Features Like a Betting Calculator 
  7. Betfair—Provides the Hottest Betting Tips for the Cheltenham Festival
  8. Bally Casino—Has the Best Ante-Post Betting Markets on the Cheltenham Festival
  9. Parimatch—Claim the Hottest Bonus Offers on the Cheltenham Festival
  10. Betano—Wager on Festival Leaders Like Top Jockey and Top Trainer

Reviews of the Top Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

Our list of betting sites for the Cheltenham Festival is helpful in narrowing down your options for a top online gambling experience. However, our reviews on our top five horse racing betting sites below give more insight into their offerings so you can pick the one that works best for you.

1. William Hill – The Best Site for Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Overall

William Hill

William Hill is one of the leading betting sites for Cheltenham Festival betting. The platform offers extensive horse racing betting coverage and offers top features and promotions for popular events like the Cheltenham Festival 2025.

UK bettors can access several promotional offers created explicitly for use on the festival, including a Cheltenham Festival free bets for day 1, a non-runner money-back guarantee, odds boosts, and extra places on races. It is one of the top sites to provide Cheltenham free bet offers, and these free bets expire after day one. The free bet amount varies according to your deposit and allows for varying free bet stakes.

Besides these offers, you can also enjoy racing specials, including unique markets and betting lines for the festival. These markets include lines like Which Cheltenham banker will win by the furthest, top jockey, and top trainer. Notably, the bookmaker has released these specials a week before the event, offering some of the hottest odds.

In addition to releasing these specials early, William Hill has also dropped its odds and markets on the races held on all four days of the festival, giving you access to highly competitive markets before they shift.

Another top feature offered by William Hill is the opportunity to watch all the races run at the Cheltenham Festival, live in high-definition from the bookie’s website. All four days of the event will be live-streamed, so you do n’t have to miss a race.

William Hill bonus

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site Offers Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Welcome Promo Promo Code Wagering Requirement Minimum Deposit
William Hill ✅ Free Bet on Cheltenham Day 1 No code required 1x No minimum requirement

Pros and Cons:

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2. PaddyPower – Has the Best Special Markets on the Cheltenham Festival

Paddy Power

One of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites for special markets is PaddyPower. The bookie offers unique markets, like Power Prices, non-runner no bet accas, top trainer, top jockey, and Prestbury Cup markets. These special lines all offer competitive odds thanks to their early release. 

While you can access odds on these special lines, the bookie will only release regular markets and odds on race day. However, PaddyPower is known for its competitive offers and top payouts.

Besides top betting markets, the bookie also has several features that make wagering on the Cheltenham Festival simple and enjoyable. You can find a detailed guide informing you of how the odds and race cards work for the day and information on the main race taking place on each day, its distance, and race format.

You can also visit the PaddyPower News Blog for the hottest tips on betting on the Cheltenham Festival. The bookie also features top betting offers for the Cheltenham Festival, including a money-back bonus should the horse you bet on in any of the races during the festival be a non-runner. New bettors signing up can also claim exciting Cheltenham sign up offers, like the one detailed below:

PaddyPower bonus

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site Offers Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Welcome Promo Promo Code Wagering Requirement Minimum Deposit
PaddyPower ✅ £30 Free Bet YSKAST 1x £5

Pros and Cons:

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3. Highbet – Enjoy Early Betting Lines on All Cheltenham Festival Races

Highbet

The earlier Cheltenham Festival betting sites release their markets, the more competitive and lucrative the odds will be. Highbet knows this and as such, provides some of the best betting odds on the Cheltenham Festival through its release of betting lines nearly two weeks before the event.

In addition to offering early markets on these races, the bookmaker makes them easy to access by providing a user-friendly platform, which is quick to navigate. The bookie provides easy-to-read race cards and clearly outlines the jockey’s jersey pattern, odds, and markets on each.

Highbet makes it easy to follow the success of your bets by live streaming events like the Cheltenham Festival.You can follow along using a thumbnail-size view of the race or expand it to fit the screen so you don’t miss who crosses that line first. You can also add Cheltenham Festival races to your “Favourites” tab, so you can access the odds and markets instantly without having to search for them. 

The betting site doesn’t offer a dedicated Cheltenham Festival bonus offer but provides several exciting sports betting promos that apply to horse racing, including the exciting sports welcome bonus we outline below.

Highbet bonus

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site Offers Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Welcome Promo Promo Code Wagering Requirement Minimum Deposit
Highbet ✅ £20 Free Bet Bonus No code 1x £10

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4. Jeffbet – Features Competitive Odds on the Ultima Handicap Chase

Jeffbet

Jeffbet ensures UK bettors have access to the hottest odds on races run at the Cheltenham Festival. Like other top horse racing betting sites, the bookie has released its betting lines early, ensuring it gets in on the action with highly competitive odds. You can find some of the top NRNB odds on the Ultima Handicap Chase, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and the Gold Cup.

The bookie makes placing bets on races faster and a little simpler by providing quick bets, which allows you to select your bet value and instantly wager a bet. This option is ideal for instances where the betting lines are closing soon, and you don’t want to miss a betting opportunity. 

One aspect we noticed is that the bookie doesn’t provide live streaming of the races, so you’ll need to catch the action elsewhere. However, the betting site makes up for it by providing safe deposit and withdrawal methods, which make it easy to quickly fund your account and access your winnings.

Jeffbet provides a fun countdown to the event and gives a schedule of the main races of each day. While there isn’t a specific Cheltenham Festival bonus, the betting site provides a range of exciting promos which you can use at the festival. These include a generous sports sign-up promo and other customer offers like a rewards program.

Jeffbet bonus

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site Offers Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Welcome Promo Promo Code Wagering Requirement Minimum Deposit
Jeffbet ✅ £30 Free Bet Promo No code 1x £10

Pros and Cons:

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5. Winner Casino – Unlock the Most Impressive Welcome Package

Winner

Winner Casino is another of the betting sites with Cheltenham Festival betting markets and odds. However, unlike many of the other bookies on our list, this site reserves its betting markets until the weekend before the event. So, while you won’t currently find betting markets for the Cheltenham Festival on offer, they’re sure to be released soon.

The online horse racing bookie delivers clear, uncluttered race cards, making it easy to read the odds and markets available for each race. While you won’t find live streaming of the races, you can find a varied range of betting markets, including wins, places, forecasts, tricasts, ante-post betting, and each-way bets. 

You can also use the bookmaker’s handy “build-a-bet” feature, which allows you to compile several bets on the same race into a single bet (same race parlay) which offers far greater returns. 

Overall, Winner Casino has the best welcome bonus for new UK bettors. This promotion offers a welcome package that offers deposit bonus rewards of up to £10,000, split over your first five deposits at the site. However, keep in mind that factors like a qualifying bet, minimum odds, and a minimum deposit apply.

Winner Casino bonus

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site Offers Betting on the Cheltenham Festival Welcome Promo Promo Code Wagering Requirement Minimum Deposit
Winner Casino ✅ Welcome package up to £10,000 WINN1 50x £20

Pros and Cons:

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How We Rank the Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

Finding the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites isn’t as easy as it seems. Sites that offer odds on these races may be many, but those that also offer top promos, competitive prices, and safe online betting are few. Our experts apply specific criteria when it comes to how we rate these horse racing betting sites, which we introduce you to below.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Markets

There are plenty of ways to bet on the races, and the top betting sites for the Cheltenham Festival offer these and several unique special markets. These betting platforms ensure you have countless ways to wager a real money bet on your favourite horses and jockeys and earn exciting payouts. Top markets include wins, places, forecasts, tricasts, ante-post bets, and distance bets. 

Odds on Cheltenham Festival Races

Many of the leading Cheltenham Festival betting sites release their markets for the race winner well in advance, ensuring highly lucrative odds on these markets. However, most racebooks reserve their betting markets and odds for race day, making it essential to find bookies that offer top odds ahead of time.

Betting Site Safety and Security

The best Cheltenham Festival betting sites are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, which ensures these platforms uphold regulations regarding bettor safety, fair odds, consistent payouts, and overall secure wagering. Unregulated bookies pose a high risk as they have few to no rules governing them.

Festival Bonuses and Promotional Offers

Another feature to look for is the selection of promotional offers provided. While top online betting sites provide exciting promos for horse racing betting, many also offer bonuses created specifically for use during the Cheltenham Festival. Some of these may include free bets, odds boosts, Non-runner no bets, and faller insurance.

Customer Support

Always sign up with Cheltenham Festival betting sites that provide 24/7 support using direct contact methods like live chat or a phone line. Since the festival only runs for four days, there is no point in joining a sportsbook that takes a week to respond to an issue because it only offers an email address. 

Responsible Gambling

Responsible Gambling

Betting sites with responsible gambling tools are always optimal as they offer a safety net for online bettors. Top betting sites have provisions such as self-exclusion programs from Gamstop and limits that you can apply to time and budget spent on the platform. Many of the best bookies also offer resources like details for GamCare.

The Cheltenham Festival – The Top Facts and Stats

Now that we know which are the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites and how we pick them, let’s review more information on what the Cheltenham Festival is and why it is such a big deal in international horse racing. 

What is the Cheltenham Festival?

The Cheltenham Festival is an annual, four-day horse racing event held at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, on England’s west coast. It is one of several on the UK’s National Hunt calendar and was first run in 1860. The only times the race wasn’t run was during World War II (1941-1945) and in 2001 as a result of a Foot-and-Mouth scare.

This year, the event begins on a Tuesday (11 March) and ends on a Friday (14 March). Each day of the event features seven races, with the main race taking place at 4 pm. These races include the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Ryanair Chase, the PaddyPower Stayers’ Hurdle, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Cheltenham Festival Fun Facts

The Cheltenham Festival has a long history and with it many exciting stats to examine and compare. Some of the most noteworthy stats include the following:

Cheltenham Festival Stats
Fastest Gold Cup Win In 2011, Long Run took the race in 6 minutes and 29.7 seconds
Longest Gold Cup Winning Distance In 1965, Arkle won the Gold Cup by 30 lengths
Largest Gold Cup Starting Price Winner Norton’s Coin at 100/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1990
Most Successful Horse Owner in Gold Cup History Dorothy Paget – she earned seven Gold Cup wins 
The First Female Jockey to Win a Championship Race Rachel Blackmore in 2021 – she won the Champion Hurdle (and then went on to win the Grand National in the same year.)
Trainer with the Most Festival Wins Willie Mullins with a record 100 festival wins
Most Valuable Race at the Cheltenham Festival Cheltenham Gold Cup – £625,000 
2024 Prestbury Cup Winner Ireland (8th win)
2024 Gold Cup Winner Galopin Des Champs (also took home the Cup in 2023)
2024 Champion Hurdle Winner State Man
2024 Champion Chase Winner Captain Guinness
2024 Ryanair Chase Winner Protektorat
2024 Stayers’ Hurdle Winner Teahupoo
Largest Festival Attendance 280,000 visitors across the four-day event

The Racing Schedule for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival takes place over four days. Seven races run on each day, between 13:20 and 17:20. The main race of the day is run at 16:00, with the top event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, being run on the fourth day of the event. Below, you can find a detailed schedule for each day of the event:

Day One – Champion Day

The Cheltenham Festival kicks off with Champion Day, with the main race of the day being The Unibet Champion Hurdle, a 2m race that was first run in 1927.

Day 1: Champion Day – Tuesday, 11 March, 2025
Time  Race Type Distance
13:20 The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) Hurdle 2m
14:00 The My Pension Expert Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) Chase 2m
14:40 The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) Chase 3m abt 1f
15:20 The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) Hurdle 2m abt 4f
16:00 The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Hurdle 2m
16:40 The Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Premier Handicap) Hurdle 2m
17:20 The National Hunt Novices’ Chase (Novices’ Steeple Chase) (Novices’ Handicap) Chase 3m abt 6f

Day Two – Style Wednesday

Style Wednesday is another thrilling day at the races. The day, also often referred to as Ladies’ Day, is when high fashion comes to the fore, and attendees sport their most unique and flashy fashion wear. It is also the day when the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeplechase, a Grade 1 event, takes place.

Day 2: Style Wednesday – Wednesday, 12 March, 2025
Time  Race Type Distance
13:20 The Turners Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) Hurdle 2m abt 5f
14:00 The Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase Chase 3m
14:40 The Coral Cup Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap) Hurdle 2m abt 5f
15:20 The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase Chase 3m abt 5½f
16:00 The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase (Grade 1) Chase Abt 2m
16:40 The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Premier Handicap) Chase 2m
17:20 The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) Bumper 2m

Day Three – St Patrick’s Thursday

The third day of the Cheltenham Festival falls on St Patrick’s Day, earning it the title of St Patrick’s Thursday. In a nod to the widely-celebrated day, two grade 1 races take place: the Ryanair Steeple Chase at 15:20 and the PaddyPower Stayers’ Hurdle at 16:00.

Day 3: St Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, 13 March, 2025
Time  Race Type Distance
13:20 The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) Hurdle 2m 1f
14:00 The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase Chase 2m 4f
14:40 The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed) (Premier Handicap) Hurdle 3m
15:20 The Ryanair Steeple Chase (Grade 1) Chase 2m 4f
16:00 The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Hurdle 3m
16:40 The TrustATrader Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Premier Handicap) Chase 2m 4f
17:20 The Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (Sponsored by The JRL Group) Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145) Chase 3m 2f

Day Four – Gold Cup Day

The final day of the Cheltenham Festival is Gold Cup Day, where the much anticipated Gold Cup race is run at 16:00. Having been run for over 100 years, (first run in 1860) the race has only ever been cancelled a handful of times due to circumstances like World War II and a Foot-and-Mouth outbreak. 

Day 4: Gold Cup Day – Friday, 14 March, 2025
Time  Race Type Distance
13:20 The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) Hurdle 2m
14:00 The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle Race (Premier Handicap) Hurdle 2m
14:40 The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase (Grade 2) Chase 2m 4f
15:20 The Albert Bartlett  Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) Hurdle 3m
16:00 The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1) Chase 3m 2f
16:40 The St. James’s Place Festival Hunters Chase Chase  3m 2f
17:20 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-145) Hurdle 2m 4f

Understanding Betting Odds at the Cheltenham Festival

dds at the Cheltenham Festival

The odds offered by Cheltenham Festival betting sites identify two things for a bettor: which horse is most likely to win and is punted as the favourite, and how much you will win off a winning bet stake on a particular horse. 

At UK horse racing betting sites like those on our list, these odds are usually displayed as fractional odds. It is essential to know how to read these odds when looking at a race card and placing your bets. 

Fractional odds are relatively straightforward. The number on the right shows how much you would need to wager to win the number on the left.

For example, if we look at a race card for one of the Cheltenham Festival races and see the following:

You can use these odds to determine the probability of each horse winning to determine the favourite using this equation:

Denominator / (denominator + numerator) x 100

(Remember: the denominator is the number on the right, and the numerator is the number on the left.)

So, for Feet on the Ground, it would look like this:

1/ (4+1) x 100

= (1/5) x 100

= 0.2 x 100 

= 20% chance of winning

The horses on our racecard are thus as follows, making Just Aiden the favourite:

Betting Markets offered for the Cheltenham Festival

The best Cheltenham Festival betting sites provide a large number of ways to bet on the races held. Each betting market offers a unique way to bet, giving you many ways to back your favourite horses in a single race and win. Below, we discuss some of the top horse racing betting markets available at the festival and how they work:

Ante-Post Betting

Ante-post betting is sometimes also referred to as futures or outright betting. These markets open well in advance of the Cheltenham Festival, allowing you to bet on race outcomes before the race day markets open. These bets usually offer much more impressive odds due to their early release. However, keep in mind that if you bet on a horse and they don’t run, you will forfeit your stake.

Straight Win

A straight win is like a race win, but it only applies after final declarations. This means that you’re afforded less of a risk, as these bets usually include non-runner no bet controls, where you will receive your initial stake back should your chosen horse not run. 

Race Win

The “Win” bet is the most straightforward wager you can place on a race. In this bet you wager on the horse you predict will win the race outright. You can tell which horses are favoured to win the race by looking at their odds. If you pick a horse and bet on it to win and it comes in first place, you win your bet.

Place Betting

This betting market is ideal in cases where you have your eye on a strong horse but aren’t sure if it will make first place position. Place betting allows you to wager that your chosen horse will come in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. If the horse comes in in one of these positions, you’ll win your bet.

Each-Way Bets

These wagers provide a safety net, allowing you to split your bet in half. The first half bets on the horse winning, while the other half bets that your horse places in the race (2nd, 3rd, or 4th.)

If your horse wins, you get paid out for both halves of the bet, but if it places, you only receive a payout on the “places” portion of the wager.

Lengthen Your Odds

Also known as distance betting, this market gives you better odds on favourites with lower prices when you bet on their margin of victory. For example, you may wager that the favourite wins by three lengths. In many cases, the higher the margin, the more significant the payouts.

Betting Without Market

If you have a horse you want to bet on that you feel is a strong contender but not strong enough to defeat the favourite, you can place a wager using the betting without (W/O) market. This betting option allows you to exclude the favourite from the betting pool and enjoy better prices on the remaining horses. 

Matched Bets

If you’re betting at the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites and the race you want to put money on has two very strong contenders for the position of favourite, taking a matched bet is the ideal option. This betting market allows you to bet a “lay” bet and a “back” bet on your chosen horse. 

If the horse you picked wins the race, you win based on your “back” bet. However, the “lay” bet covers you in the instance where the horse doesn’t win but places.

Forecasts and Tricasts

A forecast (or exacta) is a betting market in which you must predict the two horses that come in first and second place, in the correct order. Similarly, a tricast (trifecta) is a bet where you must pick three horses to come in first, second, and third place, in the correct order. In other words, if the horse you picked to come second comes in third, you lose the bet. 

Special Bets

Special Bets

Special bets are additional wagers, almost like prop bets for horse racing. These wagers cover a number of markets, with some of the most popular being:

The Best Promos at Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

Bettors visiting the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites can unlock a wide range of thrilling promos that boost their bankrolls, making placing more bets on their chosen horses easier. 

While most horse racing betting sites provide evergreen promotional offers, like welcome bonuses and rebates, they also supply a selection of event-specific offers explicitly created for use at the Cheltenham Festival. Below, we look at the most exciting promos available for race day.

Welcome Offers

Welcome Offers

Most Cheltenham Festival betting sites offer generous bonuses to new bettors signing up with the bookie and making their first deposit. These promos come in many styles, from deposit matches and cashbacks to free bets. 

Non-Runner No Bet

A non-runner no bet (NRNB) is a form of betting insurance that works well for ante-post betting. If your wager qualifies, you place an ante-post bet, and the horse doesn’t end up running, you receive your initial stake back.

Best Odds Guaranteed

A BOG is an excellent offer to make use of at the Cheltenham Festival. The bonus ensures you get the best starting price, even if it exceeds the odds you received when you placed your bet.

Faller Insurance

Unfortunately, accidents happen, even at the Cheltenham Festival, and faller insurance protects against this. This promo offers to pay back your initial stake if your horse starts the race but doesn’t finish because the jockey (or horse) has fallen during the run. 

Extra Race Places

Some of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites provide the option to bet on extended places in races where a large number of horses are participating. In some cases, you can bet up to 7th place, giving you more betting options.

Free Bet Offers

Many betting sites with Cheltenham Festival betting markets offer free bets. These offers give you a set number of credits that you can use to bet on the festival. If you win the bet, you keep the earnings minus the original stake value.

Odds Boosts

Sometimes, a bookie will offer improved prices on a particular race or horse. If you bet using these boosted odds and win, the bookie will pay your winnings at the enhanced price.

Accumulator Promos

Accumulator Promos

Cheltenham Festival betting sites offer many accumulator bets during the event. You can pick up a selection of acca boosts that increase your payouts based on the value of your bet and the number of legs involved.

How to Sign Up with the Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

If betting on the Cheltenham Festival sounds exciting and you want to claim the bonuses, it’s time to sign up with one of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites. You can follow the steps below to get started as we guide you through the sign-up process, making a deposit, unlocking a promotion, and placing your first bet.

Choose Your Cheltenham Festival Betting Site

Cheltenham Festival Betting Site

The first step is to pick the Cheltenham Festival bookmaker you want to join and open its website. We are using our top betting site, William Hill, as an example, but note that you can use these steps for any online betting site, as the process is the same for all.

Register a Betting Account

Register

When the bookie has loaded, select the “Join” button to open the registration panel. Provide the information the site requires (name, email address, phone number, and address), then set your budget limit and create a password before clicking the “Create Account” button.

Verify Your Account

The betting site will ask you to verify your new account by clicking a link, and they will email it to you. After you have done this, you can sign in to your new betting profile for the first time.

Deposit Betting Funds and Claim a Bonus

Claim a Bonus

Now that your account is set up, you can deposit betting funds and claim a promo. So, open the site’s “Banking” page and choose the “Deposits” option. Then, select the payment method from the options provided. Fill out how much you’re going to deposit and provide your betting site bonus code. Supply any additional information the bookie requires before confirming your deposit.

Place Your Bets

Bets

You can now begin betting on the Cheltenham Festival. Open the bookie’s racing tab and select the race you want to bet on. When the race card has loaded, you can click on the odds for the horse or horses you want to back for the market you want to use. 

The details will appear on the bet slip, and this is where you’ll add your bet amount. When ready, click the “Place Bet” button to confirm your wager.

Top Tips for Betting on the Cheltenham Festival

It isn’t enough to find the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites and hope you win. You can do a few additional things if you want to wager lucrative bets and enjoy a quality online betting experience. We offer top tips for betting on the Cheltenham Festival to help boost your betting fun and, hopefully, your gains.

Know and Understand the Horse Performance and Form Details

Knowing how to read a race card and betting odds is essential when betting on the Cheltenham Festival. However, it is also imperative that you do your research before placing bets on the races. 

This research includes investigating and understanding a horse’s form and recent performance, which offers clues about how it may perform on race day and whether betting on it is viable.

Choose Solid Jockey and Trainer Combos

Trainers and jockeys who work well together are usually far more successful on race day. Finding top trainers like Willie Mullins and jockeys like Rachel Blackmore or Paul Townend may boost your chances of winning your bet. 

For example, the horse Galopin Des Champs, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, won the Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024.

Identify and Take Advantage of Early Betting Odds

Ante-post betting markets are not the only place to find early odds or odds of great value. While the main or Grade 1 races don’t typically have the best odds, other races run throughout the day are where you can find lucrative offers.

Utilise Cheltenham Festival Promotional Offers

Promotional Offers

The best Cheltenham Festival betting sites provide exciting offers created for use specifically on the event. These promos offer far better prices, boost your betting funds, and safeguard you in an instance where a fall or a strike from a race occurs. Additionally, they make it easier to bet on more and explore new betting options.

New Features at this Year’s Cheltenham Festival

Race organisers have made a few adjustments to this year’s race aimed at increasing the race’s competitiveness and the excitement it brings. Some of the new adjustments made include:

Past Winners of the Cheltenham Festival

Knowing which horses have won the main races at the Cheltenham Festival over the past five years makes it easy to see good jockey and trainer pairings. If these horses run again this year, it also points to promising wagers at the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites. You can find a table highlighting the winners of the primary races run at the festival for the past five years below:

Year Day 1 – Unibet Champion Hurdle Day 2 – Queen Mother Steeple Chase Day 3 – Ryanair Steeple Chase Day 3 – PaddyPower Stayers’ Hurdle Day 4 – The Gold Cup
2020 Epatante Politologue Min Lisnagar Oscar Al Boum Photo
2021 Honeysuckle Put The Kettle On Allaho Flooring Porter Minella Indo
2022 Honeysuckle Energumene Allaho Flooring Porter A Plus Tard
2023 Constitution Hill Energumene Envoi Allen Sire Du Berlais Galopin Des Champs
2024 State Man Captain Guinness Protektorat Teahupoo Galopin Des Champs

The Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Site

Cheltenham Festival betting sites offer avid racing fans the chance to bet on their favourite horses over the four-day event while taking advantage of the most competitive odds, thrilling features, and generous promos. 

Through our research, we have found 10 top horse racing bookies. However, the best Cheltenham Festival betting site is William Hill. The bookmaker provides extensive markets and lines on the festival, including NRNB ante-post markets with the hottest odds. It also offers a free bet on Day 1 of the festival and several additional promotional offers like odds and acca boosts, making it the site to visit for a top online betting experience.

FAQs

What is the best Cheltenham Festival betting site?

One of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites is William Hill. The bookie offers live streaming of the races from its website so that you can catch all the action. You can also claim several of the best bonuses explicitly created for the festival, like a Day 1 Free Bet and odds boosts. The bookie also offers hot odds on ante-post bets and provides extensive event coverage.

Which is the most anticipated race at the Cheltenham Festival?

The most anticipated race of the Cheltenham Festival is the Gold Cup, which takes place at 16:00 on the fourth day ( Friday, 14th March). This race has been run every year since 1860, and is one of the main events of the annual racing calendar.

What kind of betting markets are available for the festival?

There are several ways to bet on the races at the Cheltenham Festival. You can choose from a race win to a places bet, forecasts and tricasts, top trainer, top jockey, and the winner of the Prestbury Cup.

Over how many days does the Cheltenham Festival take place?

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be held over four days. The event begins on Tuesday, 11 March, with the first race at 13:20, and concludes on Friday, 14 March, with the final race taking place at 17:20.

How do I read fractional betting odds?

Fractional betting odds are the default format for odds displays for horse racing events like the Cheltenham Festival. For example, say, odds of 4/1, the denominator (number on the right) tells you how much you have to bet to win back the numerator (number on the left). So, in this example, you would need to wager £1 to win back £4.