Cheltenham Betting Offers 2024

The annual Cheltenham Festival ranks among the most popular horse racing betting events on the sports calendar and we’ve compiled a ledger of information about the yearly extravaganza, complete with info about betting offers, tips and the best Cheltenham Festival .

In 2022, Rachael Blackmore made history when she became the first-ever female jockey to win the famed Gold Cup, riding A Plus Tard to victory and further highlighting the festival’s unique brand of sporting magic.

Best Cheltenham Offers & Betting Sites

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Betting Site
Bonus
Bet Now
1
HOT
22Bet
5.0
100% Up To €122
2
BetVictor
4.6
Get 100% Matched Bet Up to €100 On Your First Bet

18+ New customers only. Opt in, place any sports bet ( odds 2.00+) up to €100 within 7 days of registration. no cash out. Get 100% matched Free Bet up to €100. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Debit Card/Apple Pay payments only.T&Cs Apply. See below gamblingcare.ie | Please gamble responsibly.

3
BoyleSports
4.4
Deposit €10 Get €40
4
bet365 Casino Review
Bet365
4.3
Bet €10 & Get €50 in Free Bets
5
Novibet
3.8
BET €10 GET UP TO €50 IN FREE BETS

Our Top Cheltenham Festival Offers

Free Bet offers for the Cheltenham Festival is an integral element of any betting plans for gamblers ahead of this year’s showpiece event at Prestbury Park. It is by far the most widely known racing festival in the world of jump racing, and that means bookmakers will be trying to attract customers by throwing bonuses and promotions at them for business. Irish horse racing betting is absolutely massive and below we have listed the best horse racing betting sites in Ireland for Cheltenham offers. Here are the Cheltenham betting offers: 

  1. 22Bet: 100% up to €122 for new players
  2. Ivibet: 100% welcome package up to €150 in free bet credits
  3. GreatWin: 50% up to €500 for new players
  4. RHINO: Bet €20 Get €20 to play with
  5. Get up to €50 in free bets if your first bet loses
  6. Get €30 worth of free bets
  7. SilverPlay: 100% up to €100 for new players
  8. Novibet: Bet €10 Get up to €100 in free bets
  9. Betinia: 100% deposit bonus for new players up to €100
  10. BetVictor: Bet €10 Get €50 in free bets + €10 Casino Bonus

Cheltenham Festival

Labelled the ‘Greatest Show on Turf”, the Cheltenham Festival is the iconic centre-piece of the National Hunt Horse season and it usually begins on the Tuesday of the second week in March.

Kicking off with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the festival spans four days, drawing crowds of over 250,000 spectators and punters to the picturesque setting among the Cotswold Hills.

Each day of the Cheltenham Festival features seven races, which take place between 1:30pm and 5:30pm, giving bettors the chance to enjoy a flurry of action in the bookmakers at the event itself and with the best online betting sites.

Day Two is traditionally Ladies Day at Cheltenham where the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Cross Country Chase and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, which showcases many of the best young stayers in racing.

Thursday’s Day Three offers up another choice racing meu, with two Grade One runs, the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase, while the three-mile Pertemps Network Final is also one to watch out for.

The Festival closes on Day Four, where the world-renowned Gold Cup and one of horse racing’s most highly-regarded prizes are up for grabs. With a long history chequered with drama, the Gold Cup has witnessed some incredible victories, though six of the last seven champions have come from Irish stables.

Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival 2024 – What To Expect?

This year, the Cheltenham Festival will stride into view on Tuesday, March 12th and will follow its traditional 28-race four-day format. Approximately 500 horses will battle it out for over £6m in prize money at Cheltenham Racecourse, where a huge army of punters will bet truckloads of cash and sink barrel loads of Guinness.

Day One will again centre around the Champion Hurdle, while the Queen Mother Champion Chase – one of the stiffest examinations of jumping in the world – will be the must-see event on Day Two.

Day Three will host the reliably gripping Ryanair Chase, while Day Four will see the biggest names in racing competing to land the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 15th. Can trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend lead Galopin Des Champs to another Gold Cup triumph after securing the crown in 2023?

No matter who makes the card, Gold Cup Cheltenham betting is certain to be rampant as bettors from the UK and Ireland gather to take on the bookmakers.

Cheltenham Betting Tips

As the 2024 Cheltenham Festival draws closer it’s good to get a handle on the form and health of the confirmed runners. A lot can change in a short space of time in racing, but as the event closes in, you can start to feel more confident in your selection. 

There are certain strategies you can learn and deploy when the time to make your Cheltenham selections rolls around. First, you should attempt to find the best betting site for punting on Cheltenham.

Do some research and find which bookmakers are offering the best prices for the event. You could surf each individual bookie’s markets to learn more about the odds they offer, though a simple internet search for “oddschecker Cheltenham” should bring you a link to the superb Oddschecker odds comparison site, where you can compare prices more easily.

When analysing the card for each race, take note of the prices for each runner and how the odds fluctuate as the start time approaches. Often, the expert punters “in the know” wait until the final moments to place their bets to take advantage of better odds. The more money that is bet on a horse, the tighter the price will go.

It’s also important to be aware of horses’ form in the lead up to the Cheltenham Festival. You can track the progress of your fancied charges through less-illustrious events, often against direct rivals, to gauge how they are looking in the lead up to the showpiece event in Gloucestershire.

Cheltenham Betting Tips

Where can I bet on the Cheltenham Festival?

There are four different ways that you can place a bet on the Cheltenham Festival, whether online or offline. What is a day at the races without having a bet? Cash may be used to place bets with the Tote and all on-course bookmakers at Cheltenham Racecourse if you are attending the festival. Let’s take a look at the four most popular ways to get a bet on below:

  • Betting Online with our recommended bookmakers: Cheltenham Festival free bets are plentiful and we recommend online betting as the number one way to bet on the big event. All you have to do is sign up to one of our many bookmakers mentioned on this page and bet away to your heart’s content. It really is that simple and it is the fastest way to bet too.
  • Racecourse Betting: If you are attending the Cheltenham Races, you can still bet online on your phone. However, you can also bet on the onsite betting kiosks which will be scattered all over the track. Obviously, cash is the best way to bet with these bookmakers but nowadays they usually accept cards for payment too.
  • High Street Bookmakers: There are many people out there who don’t bet online who will not be going to the races. Their preferred method to bet will then be the high street bookmaker. You will not avail of the great offers, free bets and extra places in these places generally so we would only recommend betting here as a last resort.
  • Tote Betting: Bookmakers offer you odds but when you bet with the Tote, you are betting into a massive pool. It is similar to the national lottery, where your winnings will be determined by how many people have bet on a particular horse and how much has been staked on the horse. It can be a good method for big outsiders or for forecast and tricast bets, and can be done online too. 

How do I place a bet on the Cheltenham Festival?

The Cheltenham Festival is very nearly upon us and it is set to be another incredible four days of top quality racing with no fewer than 14 Grade One events, starting on Tuesday the 12th of March. Many gambling beginner’s take their first plunge into the world of betting on Cheltenham Festival week, so we have tailor made a simple step-by-step guide below to walk you through the process.

First you will need to sign up to a recommended Irish betting site. On this page you will find our list of trusted betting sites, along with the very best Cheltenham Festival betting offers and enhancements they have for new players to use. The process of signing up with an Irish bookmaker site is simple. Every firm will differ but in order to sign up, in general you will need to follow the below steps.

These steps in general will usually take no longer than 15 minutes to do at a push, but it might be worth giving yourself half an hour so that you can take things at your own pace and read all of the terms and conditions.

  1. Click the ‘Claim Offer’ button next to the offer you wish to take advantage of..
  2. Click the button to register a new account. This might also say ‘sign up’ or ‘create account’.
  3. Fill in any personal details requested by the betting site, including verification that you are over 18 years old.
  4. Enter your details for your deposit method, making sure you deposit and bet the correct amount to release the sign-up offer.
  5. Select a race and then a horse to place your bet on the Cheltenham Festival. Find out more about placing a Cheltenham Festival bet online below.

How to place a bet on Cheltenham

First things first! Navigate to the Cheltenham Festival page on one of our recommended Irish betting sites, and follow the below instructions.

  1. The Cheltenham Festival is a huge deal and on the week of the festival, every betting site will make sure that there is easy access to the racecards for the Cheltenham Festival. Click on the Cheltenham Festival button to go to the race you want to find where you can then make your picks.
  2. If the above isn’t very clear, then you can do it the manual way. From the dropdown on the left hand side, click on it and scroll down until you see ‘Horse Racing’. Click into this feature and then you will see the races and racecourses that are up either today or tomorrow.
  3. Once you have found the horse racing section of the website in question, you are likely to see a list of racecourses that have meetings on that day. You want to look for Cheltenham. It is that simple to find it.

Adding a horse to your bet slip

Now that you have found the Cheltenham Festival races section and have also found the race and horse you want to put your money on, you will next need to add the horse or horses to your betting slip and place your bet before the races go off. This is how you do it:

  1. When you find your horse, click on the odds next to the horse’s name that you want to bet on. It will then be funnelled to your personal betting slip, which should pop up on your screen as a small box.
  2. Next you need to choose your stake. In your local currency, enter the amount you would like to put on the horse in the betting slip box. If you would like to bet on the particular horse each-way, then tick the box on the bet slip marked each-way which is usually found on the bottom left of the betting slip.
  3. Please keep in mind that all of these steps need to take place after you have deposited the money required into your account in order to place your bet. If that step has been done, simply click the button marked ‘place bet’ or ‘submit’, whatever trigger is there to finalise it.
  4. In the unlikely case that you have not deposited money into your account, then you will not be able to get your bet on until you do so. Your device will prompt you if this is needed.
  5. We touched on all the online free bets available earlier and if you have some and would like to use them to place a bet on the Cheltenham Festival, then your bet slip will give you the option to place the bet using your free bets balance.

What is the best betting site for Horse Racing in Ireland?

We are going to recommend Paddy Power as our number one Irish betting site for the Cheltenham Festival this year. The Cheltenham Gold Cup 2024 is going to be an epic battle and at Paddy Power you will get extremely competitive odds for the feature race of the week along with fantastic daily offers and promotions for both new and existing clients. If you haven’t got your Cheltenham Festival tickets and will be at home on the mobile, we really recommend Paddy Power for horse racing betting on the Emerald Isle. They also have a terrific new customer offer which is ‘Get €20 in free bets when you bet €5.’

Top Features to Look Out For on Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

We compiled a list of the best Cheltenham betting sites a little further back up the page and every entry that made the cut in our rundown comes equipped with a super range of functions and features that work to enhance the entire horse racing betting experience for punters in Ireland.
Only horse racing betting sites that meet our criteria are chosen to populate our list and below, we’ve dissected some of the elements that we look for.

Competitive odds for both domestic and international Races

Finding value should always be of paramount importance to every bettor – who doesn’t want to find more bang for their buck? The odds and prices at different Cheltenham Festival betting sites can vary from operator to operator, though we only include the companies that offer customers the most competitive odds for both domestic and international racing events. The horse racing odds supplied by ShangriLa are particularly impressive.

Variety of online horse racing betting markets

Finding competitive odds is only half the battle and punters should also ensure that there are enough horse racing markets and nice lines on offer to meet their demands. While some bookmakers only cover the basics, others work harder to impress and deliver markets with genuine depth and variety. The more options you have, the greater control you have over the event you’re betting on. Industry leaders Boylesports excel in the market variety department.

Coverage of major horse racing competitions

While some betting sites prefer to focus purely on domestic events in Ireland and the UK, like horse racing at Cheltenham, others expand their catchment area by offering markets on international races from across the globe. These events can offer a fun alternative to the more familiar competitions closer to home and at Bwin, we found an expansive catalogue of horse racing contests from the USA, France, South Africa and beyond.

Horse racing live streaming

Who doesn’t love to watch along live to hear the thunder of hooves as races reach their climax? Live streaming can really complement the entire horse racing betting experience and while all of the operators offer customers the opportunity to view live racing events, we found bet365 coverage to be unmatched. Punters with funded accounts can tune into the action with the click of a button at bet365.

In-Play Betting

Live in-play punting has fast become one of the most popular ways to bet in Ireland and live betting on horse racing events can open up new profit-laden avenues for savvy gamblers. Only the best bookmakers hit the sweet spot between odds, prices and the range of live markets on offer, and our research determined that 22Bet are among the best performers in the in-play betting arena.

Virtual horse racing options

Virtual sports betting has exploded in popularity in recent years and it’s easy to see why. Offering bettors the chance to bet on computer-generated events, where outcomes are usually decided by random number generators. They can be great fun and a fast-paced alternative to traditional events that are often restrictive due to scheduling times. Virtual horse racing comes packed with all the odds, markets and features that you get with the real thing and Sportaza has a virtual sports product that’s definitely worth checking out.

Best Betting Sites for Cheltenham 2024

Just about every betting site you’ll encounter will cover the Cheltenham Festival when it rolls around each year and as one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, it both deserves and receives a lot of attention. However, some operators deliver much-greater coverage than others, hitting all the right notes in terms of odds, bonuses, promotions, markets, live streaming and more.

Below, we’ve assembled a list of some of the industry-conquering supremos, who lead the way for the Cheltenham Festival betting package they proffer.

22Bet

Launched in 2018, 22Bet has been charming Irish punters with its excellent range of sports and superb mobile betting apps.
22Bet Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, Coral Summer Festival, July Festival at Newmarket.
22Bet Features: Live betting, regular promotions, extensive sports coverage, accepts Bitcoin
22Bet App: Android and iOS
22Bet Deposit methods: Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Bitcoin, bank transfer
About 22Bet: Operated and managed by TechSolutions Group N.V, 22Bet have over 30 different sports to bet on, including niche categories like politics and even the weather. While their welcome bonus could be improved upon, their promotions catalogue once you’re through the door is exciting in size and scope.

100% Up To €122

BoyleSports

Irish-owned BoyleSports has been in existence since the late 80’s and they combine years of experience with a modern twist to treat their customers to a superb betting journey.
Boylesports Horse Racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, King George Weekend, Glorious Goodwood, St. Leger Day, Dubai Future Champions Festival
Boylesports Features: Bet Builder, numerous bonuses, live streaming, 24/7 customer support
Boylesports App: Android and iOS
Boylesports Deposit methods: Cash at BoyleSports shops, Visa, Mastercard, Electron, bank transfer, Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, Paysafecard, Google Pay, Apple Pay
About Boylesports: Borne out of traditional betting shops on the high-street, Boylesports is now an online betting powerhouse with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from any of the industry’s biggest names. With numerous payment options, exceptional sports coverage across the board and fantastic customer support, Boylesports has few weaknesses, though their promo’s T&C’s can sometimes be a little on the convoluted side.

Deposit €10 Get €40

Bet365

bet365 Casino Review

A household name across the globe, bet365 has transformed from humble beginnings in Stoke-on-Trent into one of the industry’s most recognizable brands.
Bet365 Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Glorious Goodwood, July Festival at Newmarket, Dubai Future Champions Festival
Bet365 Features: Cash out (full/partial), bet builder, sports stats, audio commentary, live streaming
Bet365 App: Android and iOS
Bet365 Deposit methods: Credit and debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Paysafe card, Click to pay, Bankwire
About Bet365: Launched just after the Millennium celebrations in 2000, bet365 quickly established a stellar reputation for simplicity and style, with a betting site that consistently ranks as a firm favourite with bettors everywhere. Bet365 comes equipped with unparalleled sports coverage, water-tight safety features and buckets of extras.

Bet €10 & Get €50 in Free Bets

ShangriLa

More renowned for their casinos in Eastern Europe, Shangri La has been making waves in the online betting sites space since 2016. Licenced and registered in Curacao, Shangri La brings bettors a fresh alternative to more traditional sites.
ShangriLa Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, Coral Summer Festival, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, King George Weekend.
ShangriLa Features: Cash out, bet builder, live streaming, e-sports experts, user-friendly website
ShangriLa App: Android
ShangriLa Deposit methods: Visa and MasterCard debit and credit card, Bank Transfer, EcoPayz,  Neteller, Skrill, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Yandex, Qiwi, MuchBetter, PerfectMoney, AstroPay, Cash-to-code, Interac, Crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple) and more.
About ShangriLa: Owned by InterStorm and licenced in Curacao, Shangri La is a beautifully designed sportsbook equipped with a strong stable of bonuses, excellent horse racing coverage and over 20,000 live sports events per month. View our Shangri La review for a more detailed breakdown about what they have to offer.

100% Sports+2x €5 Free bets+Free Spins!

10bet

First introduced back in 2003, 10bet has built up a reputation as one of the most revered operators in the industry. With a strong focus on football and horse racing, 10bet have plenty of the right bases covered.
10bet Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, St. Leger Day.
10bet Features: Live betting, Add2Bet, Acca Boosts, bet builder, Teaser Bets
10bet App: Android, iOS
10bet Deposit methods: Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, Paysafecard, Apple Pay, Trustly
About 10bet: 10bet is pretty much the complete package, offering customers excellent promos, speedy withdrawals, great in-play betting options and more. They excel in the horse racing betting space, with markets for events in the UK, Ireland, USA, France, South Africa and more.

50% up to €50 welcome bonus

Bwin

Launched by ElectraWorks Limited back in 1999, Bwin stands out from the crowd with 40+ sports, generous offers, excellent odds and a top tier live streaming service.
Bwin Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, Coral Summer Festival, Dubai Future Champions Festival, King George Weekend.
Bwin Features: Live streaming, in-play betting, specials betting, excellent mobile betting apps
Bwin App: Android, iOS
Bwin Deposit methods: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Skrill, Paypal, Neteller, iDebit, Apple Pay, Fast Bank Transfer
About Bwin: Bwin have been a high-calibre operator for over 20 years and their sponsorship links with the Europa and Conference League highlight the esteem they are held in across the continent. Bwin offer customers an unparalleled live betting experience – something lovers of Cheltenham Festival betting will adore.

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Sportaza

Founded as recently as 2020, Sportaza is a relatively fresh name on the Irish betting scene, though they already pack a punch. Customers have a wide range of promos to enjoy and over 30+ sports to bet on with Sportaza, including horse racing.
Sportaza Horse racing: Cheltenham Festival, The Grand National, July Festival at Newmarket, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood
Sportaza Features: Tournaments, live betting, cash out, extensive football and horse racing markets
Sportaza App: N/A
Sportaza Deposit methods: Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, paysafecard, CashtoCode, eZeeWallet, MiFinity, Apple Pay, Bitcoin, Litecoin, ethereum, ripple
About Sportaza: Part of the Rabidi NV stable of betting products, Sportaza’s snappy website is complemented by market and odds of a similarly high standard. Horse racing enthusiasts are well looked after at Sportaza and it is one of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites in the business.

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Cheltenham Festival Betting Offers

If you’re considering opening a new betting account, then the Cheltenham Festival could be the perfect time to take the plunge. The lead up to the festival and throughout the much-loved event itself, is go time for bookmakers, who love to launch lavish promos, juicy free bets and generous bonuses for both new and existing customers to take advantage of.

Online betting sites everywhere all join the clamour for your business during the Cheltenham Festival and you’ll routinely find dozens of excellent offers over the four-day horse racing spectacle. Below, we’ll shine a light on some of the promotions that you’ll get to enjoy.

✅ Cheltenham Welcome offer

Welcome offers are incentivised promos designed to encourage new customers to sign up with a particular bookmaker. They can come in the form of a matched deposit, a series of free bets or real cash. They are an excellent way to build an early bankroll and some of the welcome offers can be extremely lucrative. Always read the fine print however, as some welcome offers seem generous before you take a glance at the play through requirements.

✅ Cheltenham Free bets

Free bets do exactly what they say on the tin. Bookmakers credit your account with a free bet worth a certain value and you are free to wager that credit on just about anything you like. Generally, you will need to meet a set of playthrough requirements before you can withdraw any winnings, however.

✅ Event specials

From Ante post offers to non-runner bets and enhanced odds promos to tote betting, bookmakers run a series of superb offers and specials during the Cheltenham Festival. Each offer is usually tailored for a particular race and the Gold Cup on Day Four generally has the most attached in terms of exciting promos.

✅ Cheltenham Money-Back Offers

Money-back specials are excellent offers that allow you to get your stake back (usually as a free bet) if your horse loses. For example, you could have a money back offer if you back a horse that ranks outside the favourites. If your steed loses by a head or less for instance, bet365 could refund your original stake in the form of a free bet. Think of it as a fun little safety net.

✅ Cheltenham Price Boost Offers

Price boost offers add value to the odds of selected horses, giving you the opportunity to increase your profit if you successfully back them. During Cheltenham, bookmakers will often attach price and odds boosts to some of the Festival’s biggest names in a bid to snare new punters. For instance, the favourite to win the Gold Cup could see their price upped from 4/6 to 6/1 to entice new bettors through the doors.

✅ Reduced risk bets

With reduced risk or risk-free bets, punters can wager a certain amount on a horse and their stake will be refunded in full if their horse fails to win. These generally apply to selected events and horses only, though they can be an excellent way to enjoy a bet without the risk of losing your cash.

✅ Tote Betting

Tote betting is an enjoyable and potentially profitable way to stake a series of stakes on successive races at the Cheltenham Festival. With tote betting, punters pick a series of winners across the day’s racing and their stake goes into a prize pool, which is then split between the players who landed the most winners.

✅ Extra Places at The Major Horse Racing Festivals

Some betting sites offer enhanced place markets across the board. What that means is that you can sacrifice the value of your odds in exchange for extra places each-way i.e., your horse can finish further back in the field and still return some profit.
For instance, just say Bwin are paying out on three places in a particular race at Cheltenham, however, if they run an extra places offer on the event, they might pay out on up to five places, albeit at lower odds. In that scenario, your horse could finish fifth and still offer some sort of return.

All of the offers discussed above will come wrapped in a series of terms and conditions, and it’s always a wise move to give the related T&Cs a thorough readthrough before committing to any of the available promotions.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Offers

How to Place a Horse Racing Bet Online

If you’re new to the horse racing betting scene, you might be on the lookout for a step-by-step guide walking you through the process of placing your first bet on a race. Luckily, we’ve got you covered and we’ve put together a simple multi-step process that you can follow.

Don’t worry, it’s all pretty straightforward and easy to follow.

Check it out below:

  • Choose from one of our recommended online horse racing betting sites from our list
  • Sign up for an account with your chosen bookmaker by entering all the relevant information when promoted such as name, email, phone number and ID verification
  • Once you’re set up, head to your account screen and click “deposit” to add some funds to your brand-new betting account
  • When your money is transferred, you can head on over to the horse racing section, where you’ll find all of the events, markets and races that pique your interest
  • Once you’ve found the horse you want to back, add it to your betslip with a click of a mouse. Enter you desired stake and confirm you bet by hitting the highlighted button. That’s it!
  • If your bet is successful, your winnings will automatically be deposited to your account. You’ll be able to see your new account balance in your account section. Good luck!

Things to Consider Before Betting on The Horses and Cheltenham festival specific

Backing a horse is part and parcel of a day at the races and while it can be great fun to throw stakes around, a winning bet provides an even greater thrill. You can increase your chances of landing those winners by sharpening up on your horse racing betting skills. Check out our guide on some of the aspects you should consider before backing a horse below.

  • The current form of the horse – you should always be aware of the horse’s form in the lead up to a big race. Are they on a winning or losing streak? Form isn’t always permanent, however, it can provide some useful indicators about possible future performances.
  • Trainer Form – like the horses themselves, some trainers are better than others. Several trainers, like Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, have a reputation for producing winner after winner from their stables and if they enter a runner in a race, generally, they have a great shot at succeeding.
  • Ground conditions – also called “the going”, ground conditions can play a huge role in deciding the outcome of a race. Different horses perform better on firm ground, while others prefer soft conditions. Horse racing at Cheltenham can often be impacted by weather conditions on the day.
  • Record at the track – How does the horse or jockey in question usually perform at a particular racecourse? Some runners have a particular affinity for certain venues and could give you the edge you need to beat the bookies.
  • Strength of the opposition – the stronger the field, the tougher it will be to come out on top. Similarly, a powerful horse could gallop to glory with easy if placed among inferior antagonists.
  • Breeding – tracking a horse’s lineage can often give you an indication of its physical attributes. There is tons of information online that offer details about which horses are sired by former champions. Read up on progeny records to learn more.
  • Draw bias – draw bias alludes to whether or not a horse in a race is handed an advantage by emerging from the stall they’ve been drawn to start in. If that’s still a little confusing, think of how athletes start in different positions before a track race. A better starting position can often lead to a better outcome.
  • You are getting the best horse racing odds offered – it’s always a smart idea to shop around for the best odds possible for your chosen selection before a race. The better the odds, the better your payout will be if your bet is successful. Search for “oddschecker Cheltenham” online to avail of Oddschecker’s excellent odds comparison service.

Horse Racing Betting Strategy

Now that you are armed with info about odds, markets and aspects about horse racing to consider, it’s time to put everything together to form a winning horse racing betting strategy.

While there is no perfect method that guarantees results, bettors can still utilise all the tools and information at their disposal to win more bets than they lose. In other words, you can become a successful horse racing bettor.

Familiarise yourself with the advice below and apply this thinking to your own tailored horse racing betting strategy.

  • Don’t be afraid to follow the bookies – bookmakers will always have vastly superior knowledge about horse racing – I mean, of course they will, it’s their job. As such, it’s ok to trust their odds. If they make a horse favourite to win, then there is a good chance they will
  • Find the best odds – this one should go without saying. Shop around for the best horse racing prices available. It takes a bit of extra leg-work, but it is worth the effort in the long run
  • Bet for places, not wins – take advantage of each-way betting options to widen the net. By adopting this strategy, you can earn more returns than just backing winners alone
  • Be wary of tipsters – there are dozens of self-proclaimed experts offering advice about which horses to back, though there are more bad tipsters than good, so take everything you read with a pinch of salt
  • Do your homework – read up on form, race history, jockey info and everything else you can get your hands on before backing a horse. A more informed bettor is usually a more successful one. Don’t get lazy, do the work
  • Never bet more than you can afford – this is one of, if not THE most important thing to remember. You should never bet more than you can afford to lose. Don’t chase your losses and bet with a sensible financial hat on.

List of Ireland & International Horse Racing Competitions

Ireland is a nation steeped in major horse racing traditions and each year there are numerous races and meetings to enjoy during an action-packed calendar of events. Further afield, there are also many popular horse racing festivals in the UK and around the globe.

Major horse racing events in Ireland:

Major horse racing events around the world:

  • Dubai Racing Carnival (Meydan, UA)
  • Kentucky Derby (USA)
  • Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (France)
  • Breeders’ Cup (USA)
  • Melbourne Cup Carnival (Australia)
  • Japan Cup (Japan)
  • Hong Kong International (China)

FAQs About Cheltenham Festival Betting Sites

What are the best Cheltenham betting sites?

We recommend checking out 22Bet, BoyleSports, bet365, Shangri La, 10bet, Bwin and Sportaza for all your Cheltenham betting needs

What are the big Cheltenham races?

Four headline races that run across the four days of the Cheltenham Festival. The Champions Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Stayers' Hurdle and the Gold Cup

Where is the Cheltenham Festival held?

The Cheltenham Festival is held annually at Cheltenham Racecourse in Prestbury Park which is located in the English county of Gloucestershire

Who has the most winners at Cheltenham?

Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in the history of Cheltenham with 94 different winners, while jockey Ruby Walsh is the best performer in his field with 59 wins

Who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2023?

The superstar duo of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend landed the prize of the week as  Galopin Des Champs claimed the Gold Cup.