• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2022

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Bookies
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
      • Top Jockeys
      • Amateur Races
    • Grand National
      • Picking a Winner
      • Grand National Winners
      • Grand National Fences
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • Prize Money
      • Virtual Grand National
      • Grand National Sponsors
      • Reserve Horses
      • How Many Finish
      • How Many Run
      • Grey Horses
      • Popularity
      • Amateur Jockeys
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

Cheltenham Free Bets

Cheltenham Racecourse Chase
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

The Cheltenham festival is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the National Hunt horse racing calendar. The event sees hundreds of thousands of punters flock to track and millions spent in wagers alone.

Over the years they have managed to form some of the most iconic jump races in the world and with it, some of the most iconic moments in the sports history.

Whilst the festival is often seen as a bit of an Ireland v the UK in terms of horses and trainers, these days it attracts an international field. The Irish have still made the festival their own though, especially as it usually falls on St Patrick’s day, just adding to the aurora of the spectacle.

Free Bets for the Cheltenham Festival

Money BagBeing one of the biggest horse racing meetings of the year, the Cheltenham Festival has the bookies in a frenzy as they try and grab new business and keep their existing customers from wandering off. This translates to a huge array of offers for both new and existing customers.

For obvious reasons the offers won’t really appear until nearer the festival, so check back in early March to see what’s up for grabs. In the mean time, you may also want to try to the following pages of the site:

  • New customers (sign up bonuses): see our list of new customer offers here
  • Existing Customers: check out our lists of BOG offers and free bet clubs

Cheltenham Articles & Guides

Nose of Racehorse Wearing Bridle
Everything You Need to Know About Cheltenham Racecourse
Jockey With Green Cap
The Cheltenham Festival’s Amateur Races: What Are They and What Are the Rules?
Horses Jumping Fence at Cheltenham
The Top Jockeys at the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Racecourse Stables
The Top Trainers at the Cheltenham Festival
Horse Parading at Cheltenham Racecourse
The Prestbury Cup: Winners, Stats & History
Event Cancelled Stamp
How Many Times Has the Cheltenham Festival Been Postponed or Cancelled?
Cheltenham Racecourse View
What are the Differences Between the Old Course and the New Course at Cheltenham?

Cheltenham Festival Blog: News, Tips & Analysis

Mouth of Winning Horse Wearing Sash
Which Cheltenham Festival Races are Most Likely to Be Won by Favourites?
Dark Bay Horse Looking Out of Indoor Stable Door
Which Trainer Has the Most Cheltenham Festival Runners?
Light Brown Horse Portrait View
How Often Do Horses with 50/1+ Odds Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
Dress Code Policy on Clipboard
What Is the Dress Code at the Cheltenham Festival? Jockey Club Ditches Formal Attire Rule

More Cheltenham Blogs

About The Festival

Cheltenham Racecourse Winning Post
Cheltenham Racecourse Winning Post

The festival is held over 4 days, running from Tuesday through to Friday. With each day you are getting a plethora of high quality races, with each having at least three Grade 1 races to enjoy. Whilst the festival enjoys all of the big names from around the globe, there are very few that are able to house so many of the sports elite within one festival.

What’s great about the festival is that no matter which day you are attending, the calibre of racing never subsides. Whether it be the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the Wednesday, the Ryanair Chase (Festival Trophy) on the Thursday or, arguably the most iconic race in horse racing, The Gold Cup on the Friday, each day offers a unique feel.

From a bookmaking point of view, the festival is now so large that it can literally make or break some of the smaller, independent brands, determining what kind of year they have. A good festival can mean millions for the bookies, whereas a poor one can mean a really tough season lies ahead. Either way, both punters and bookmakers alike spend more time over Cheltenham than pretty much any horse racing event in the world.

Tuesday: Champion Day

Cheltenham Horse Race From Stands
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

The Tuesday is the start of the festival and probably one of the most boisterous days of the whole meet. People flock from across Europe and around the world just to get a glimpse of the worlds best.

The festival is kicked off with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. It’s made up of a big field and often thought to be one of the toughest races to win for this exact reason. The race is run at a frantic pace and is seen as a great way to start the meeting. In 2017, the winner was 25/1 shot Lebaik, highlighting just how tough this race is to call.

The Supreme Novices’ is just one of four Grade 1 races on that day, with the others being made up of the Arkle Challenge trophy, The Champion Hurdle and the Mares’ Hurdle. The Arkle, ran over 2 miles, is another run at a frenetic pace, whilst he Mares’ Hurdle is seen as a good opener for potential Grand National runners, requiring more stamina than speed.

But, the highlight race of the day has to be the Champions Hurdle, won in previous years by legends such as Jezki, Hurricane Fly, Rock On Ruby and Binocular.

Wednesday: Ladies Day

Lady Wearing Fascinator
Image Credit: Jaguar MENA, flickr

The quality of racing doesn’t stop moving forward either, with the Wednesday containing no fewer than four more Grade 1 races. It’s also Ladies Day, so the suited and booted are out in force…if they weren’t already!

The day is kicked off with the Ballymore (Baring Bingham) Novice’s Hurdle, run over 2m 5f of the toughest part of the Cheltenham circuit. Whilst the horses in this race are still pretty raw, it’s another good opportunity for trainers to see where they have progressed over the winter months and are then able to move forward successful horses in higher ranked races, such as the Gold Cup.

The Brown Advisory (Broadway) Novices’ Chase and the Champion Bumper are two more Grade 1 races, each with their own levels of difficulty. The former is run over 3m and another that highlights horses who could potentially do well at the Grand National, whilst the latter is another frantic race, often suited more to horses who possess a quick turn of foot.

The highlight of the day is undoubtedly the Queen Mother Champions Chase. This race often determines who is the best horse over two-miles in the world and has previously been won by the likes of Master Minded, Moscow Flyer, Sprinter Sacre and Sizing Europe.

Thursday: St Patrick’s Thursday

St Patrick's Day Hat & Clover

The Thursday usually sees the invasion of the Irish take new levels and quite often takes place on St Patrick’s day.

The day is kicked off with the Turners (Golden Miller) Novices’ Chase in what is usually one of the more competitive races within the festival. The race includes horses who fall somewhere between sprinters and stayers, generally having more all-round ability than most of the other horses at the meeting. Some of the more recent winners include Yorkhill, Taquin Du Seuil and Sir Des Champs.

The highlight of the day – for us at least – is the Stayers’ Hurdle and really does sort the men from the boys. The 3m race takes place across the toughest hurdles and slowest parts of the race track, so stamina is a must if they are wanting do well here.

Other Grade 1 races that day include the Ryanair Chase (Festival Trophy) and the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Friday: Gold Cup Day

Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner Kauto Star
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

Friday is the highlight of the festival, and that’s pretty much for one reason alone; the Gold Cup. It’s one of the most watched and punted on sporting events of the year, with bookmakers reporting that they can take as much money for this race as they do in the majority of other festivals around the world.

The Gold Cup, run over 3m 2 1/2f is the most magnificent of spectacles to round off the whole festival. Some of the biggest and most popular horses in racing that have ever lived have won the race, including Long Run, Kauto Star, Denman, Best Mate, Master Oats and of course, Desert Orchid way back in 1989.

Whilst the Gold Cup is undoubtedly the pinnacle, the day still includes a further two Grade 1 races, which are the Triumph Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett (Spa) Novices’ Hurdle. Whilst they are often overlooked by the Gold Cup by most punters, the race often includes a massive range of top quality horses, running over the shorter 2m and the longer 3m tracks respectively.

Major Races

Whilst the festival has a general appeal with many excellent races, there are a few that stand out. These big money feature races are spread out over the four days and offer some of the best jumps racing the country has to offer.

Cheltenham Festival Major Races

Race Name Race Date & Time (2023) Latest Winner (2023)
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle TUE 14th March – 1:30pm Marine Nationale
Arkle Challenge Trophy TUE 14th March – 2:10pm El Fabiolo
Champion Hurdle TUE 14th March – 3:30pm Constitution Hill
Mares’ Hurdle TUE 14th March – 4:10pm Honeysuckle
Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle WED 15th March – 1.30pm Impaire Et Passe
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase WED 15th March – 2:10pm The Real Whacker
Queen Mother Champion Chase WED 15th March – 3:30pm Energumene
Cross Country Chase WED 15th March – 4:10pm Delta Work
Turners Novices’ Chase THU 16th March – 1:30pm Stage Star
Ryanair Chase THU 16th March – 2:50pm Envoi Allen
Stayers’ Hurdle THU 16th March – 3:30pm Sire Du Berlais
Triumph Hurdle FRI 17th March – 1:30pm Lossiemouth
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle FRI 17th March – 2:50pm Stay Away Fay
Cheltenham Gold Cup FRI 17th March – 3:30pm Galopin Des Champs

Champion Hurdle

Ruby Walsh on Hurricane Fly
Image Credit: Dan Heap, flickr

The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt race. It’s run by 4 years olds or older and is often seen as one of the best hunt races in the world. The race is run over 2 miles and has been running since 1927.

Most Successful Champion Hurdle Jockeys

Jockey Winning Years Wins
Barry Geraghty 2009, 2014, 2018 & 2020 4
Ruby Walsh 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2016 4
Tim Molony 1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954 4
Charlie Swan 1998, 1999 & 2000 3
Fred Winter 1955, 1959 & 1961 3
Jimmy Uttley 1968, 1969 & 1970 3
Ron Smyth 1941, 1942 & 1948 3
Steve Smith Eccles 1985, 1986 & 1987 3
Tony McCoy 1997, 2006 & 2010 3

The ‘70’s are often considered to be the golden era of the race with the likes of Persian War (joint most wins with 3 in total; 68, 69 and 70), Night Nurse, Monskfield and several others all winning in this time. In more recent times the likes of Annie Power, Hurricane Fly and Jezki have all been successful. Barry Geraghty, Ruby Walsh and Tim Molony are the most successful jockeys in the race with 4 wins each and the purse for the race was £450,000 in 2023.

Queen Mother Champion Chase

Double Champion Chase Winner Sprinter Sacre
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

The Queen Mother was first run in 1959 and is run over 2 miles with five year old horses and up being allowed to enter. The race is another Grade 1 National Hunt and often thought of to include some of the fastest National Hunt horses in the world.

Multiple Champion Chase Winning Trainers

Trainer Winning Years Wins
Tom Dreaper 1960, 1961, 1964, 1966, 1969 & 1970 6
Nicky Henderson 1992, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 & 2019 6
Paul Nicholls 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2015 & 2020 6
Henry de Bromhead 2011, 2017 & 2021 3
Michael Dickinson 1982, 1983 & 1984 3
Willie Mullins 2022 & 2023 2
Arthur Moore 1981 & 1996 2
Bob Turnell 1967 & 1968 2
Brian Lusk 1976 & 1977 2
Dan Moore 1959 & 1973 2
David Elsworth 1989 & 1990 2
David Nicholson 1994 & 1995 2
Edward Courage 1972 & 1974 2
Jessica Harrington 2003 & 2005 2
John Edwards 1987 & 1988 2
Peter McCreery 1978 & 1979 2

The current title of the Queen Mother wasn’t officially given to the race until 1980 on the 80th birthday of the Queen Mother. Prior to that it was called the Two-Mile Champion Chase, with the official purse in 2020 being £400,000. Some of the more notable winners include Sprinter Scare, Master Minded, Barnbrook Again, Badsworth Boy and Royal Relief.

The Ryanair Chase (Festival Trophy)

Cue Card - 2013 Ryanair Chase Winner
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

The Ryanair Chase is generally known by the name of the sponsor at that time, but officially, it will be referred to as the Festival Trophy. It’s been running since 2005 and whilst it’s one of the newest of the Grade 1 listed races, it’s quickly formed it’s own tradition, allowing five year and up horse to duel it out over the 2m 5f track.

Past Ryanair Chase (Festival Trophy) Winners

Horse Jockey Trainer Winning Year
Envoi Allen Rachael Blackmore Henry de Bromhead 2023
Allaho Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2022
Allaho RachaelBlackmore Willie Mullins 2021
Min Paul Townend Willie Mullins 2020
Frodon Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls 2019
Balko des Flos Davy Russell Henry de Bromhead 2018
Un de Sceaux Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2017
Vautour Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins 2016
Uxizandre Tony McCoy Alan King 2015
Dynaste Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2014
Cue Card Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard 2013
Riverside Theatre Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson 2012
Albertas Run Tony McCoy Jonjo O’Neill 2011
Albertas Run Tony McCoy Jonjo O’Neill 2010
Imperial Commander Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies 2009
Our Vic Timmy Murphy David Pipe 2008
Taranis Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2007
Fondmort Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson 2006
Thisthatandtother Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2005

The race comes with a purse of £375,000, with over £211,000 of that going to first place. Ruby Walsh is the most successful jockey in the race with 4 winners to his name – Thisthatandtother, Taranis, Vautour and Un De Sceaux.

Gold Cup

Statue of Five Time Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner Golden Miller
Image Credit: RacingKel, flickr (cropped)

The Gold Cup isn’t just one of the most iconic races within the festival, but also that of the world. It’s been running since 1924, which also makes it one of the oldest jumps races in the world as well. If a horse or jockey for that matter were lucky enough to win this race then it’s almost guaranteed to go down in racing history, such is the prestige of the event.

Multiple Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners

Horse Winning Year(s) Wins
Golden Miller 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936 5
Arkle 1964, 1965, 1966 3
Best Mate 2002, 2003, 2004 3
Cottage Rake 1948, 1949, 1950 3
Al Boum Photo 2019, 2020 2
Easter Hero 1929, 1930 2
Kauto Star 2007, 2009 2
L’Escargot 1970, 1971 2

The prize fund of £625,000 makes the race the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain. The races most prestigious victor has to be that of Golden Miller, who managed to win the race on 5 separate occasions. Given that the race is only open to horse of 5 years and up, makes this feat even more incredible. Some of the biggest names in horse racing have won throughout the years, including Arkle, Master Oats, Best Mate, War of Attrition, Sizing Bob and of course, the legendary duels between Denman and Kauto Star, with the latter coming back to win on 2 separate occasions.

Attending the Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Signpost

Visiting the festival is always going to be a special occasion. For some it will be one of the best sporting events that they go to, but with so many options over which day to go on and which tier of ticket to get, it can often be a bit confusing.

The first thing to note is that standard tickets for all four days will vary. The first three days, often known as Champions Day, Ladies Day and St Patrick’s Thursday will start from £30 per ticket and will get you access to the Best Mate Enclosures, which is essentially the main stand.

As you move up through the price ranges, Tattersall’s Enclosure will be from £45 and Club Enclosure from £75. Basically, with each you get access to a few more features on site, such as better views of the course, access to more restaurants, beer tents and even The Princes Royal Stand (Club tickets only).

Gold Cup day on the Friday is the day that everyone wants to go and see and Cheltenham have reported that they get more ticket requests for this day than the other three combined, which is actually quite staggering given that all 4 days will be near enough sell-outs.

But, to get to Gold Cup day you are going to have to pay a Premium. Tickets start in the Best Mate Enclosure at £50 and work through to £65 for the Tattersall’s Enclosure and £95 for the Club Enclosure.

Is the money worth it? Probably, yes. You want to see the best races then there are few that are as big and iconic than the Gold Cup, which allows the racecourse to charge a premium for these tickets.

Cheltenham Afternoon Tea

If you want to do the Festival in style, then you will need to get some hospitality…and a really big wallet. Hospitality tickets start from as much as £250 for entry to Moscow Flyer Restaurant, allowing you to dig into a two course buffet and some great views of the course. If you want to go all out, then you need to get into the Chez Roux room at the festival where 1 ticket will set you back a cool £770 per person. This does include a champagne reception, afternoon tea, four course meal, wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks.

Contrary to belief, there is no dress code at the festival. But, it is often thought that the men should be wearing suits within the corporate and hospitality area and the women generally wear dresses. But, as the festival is taking place in the winter months, they advise you to dress accordingly for the weather rather than a fashion icon!

History of the Festival

Cheltenham Gold Cup and Graham Bradley
Image Credit: Carine06, flickr (cropped)

The Cheltenham festival dates back to as far as 1860 when it was run at Market Harborough. The meeting was then called the Grand National Hunt Meeting and actually moved around several locations throughout the years. The organisers thought that the best idea for the meeting was to visit as many parts of the British Isles as possible to gain traction in its popularity.

The first meeting at Cheltenham occurred in 1861, but then it was another 43 years until they were to hold the next meeting, back in 1904. The festival dotted about a few more times, before extensive renovations were made to the Prestbury Park track when in 1911 the meeting returned and has been held there ever since.

The races that have been so iconic to the success of the festival have changed formats quite a few times and whilst the majority of the races you see today are new, the higher profile races have been around for decades, making them the highlights (as mentioned above).

The first race to be run was that of the Stayers hurdle in 1912. It’s still the oldest race at the festival even today and one that the most dedicated of race-goers consider to be the most important. The Gold Cup wasn’t actually introduced to the festival until 1924 and even then, it played as an undercard race to the County hurdle. The Gold Cup was often thought as a warm up to the Grand National and very few took the race too seriously, at least, not compared to today’s standards.

The next two of the ‘old timer’ races were that of the Champion hurdle, first run in 1927 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase, ran in 1959 (although wasn’t officially named the Queen Mother until 1980.). Again, these days both are known as being highly regarded Grade 1 races, attracting some of the best horses from around the world.

Iconic Festival Dates & Stats

  • 1987 – The first year a woman won a race at the festival in the form of Gee Armytage on Gee-A.
  • 2001 – First year that the festival was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth.
  • 2005 – The Festival was increased from three to four days to accommodate the increasing popularity and the number of Grade 1 races that the organisers wanted to include. Five new races had to be added to ensure that 6 races were still held on each day, with at least 2 Grade 1 races on each.
  • 2013 – Record numbers of over 250,000 punters and over £250million were wagered at the festival.

Cheltenham Blog Posts

  • Which Cheltenham Festival Races are Most Likely to Be Won by Favourites?
  • Which Trainer Has the Most Cheltenham Festival Runners?
  • How Often Do Horses with 50/1+ Odds Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • What Is the Dress Code at the Cheltenham Festival? Jockey Club Ditches Formal Attire Rule
  • Are British Trainers and Owners Giving In to Irish Dominance at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • BHA Launch Handicapping Overhaul to Improve British Success at the Cheltenham Festival
  • Why are the Irish Dominating the UK in Horse Racing Right Now?
  • Is Rachael Blackmore the Best Jockey in the World After Securing Cheltenham Festival Champion Jockey Title?
  • Awesome Altior: Is the End Nigh for Chasing Champion?
  • What Will Happen to Gordon Elliott’s Entries at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival?
  • Cheltenham Festival 2020 in Danger of Being Cancelled by Coronavirus
  • Cheltenham Festival Changes: Big Race Faces the Axe & National Hunt Chase Shortened
  • Can the Female Jockeys Make History Once Again at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival?
  • Cheltenham Festival 2019: Nicholls and Tizzard Both Bullish of Glory
  • Cheltenham Festival Preview 2019: Mullins Lifts the Lid on His Major Festival Fancies
  • Following ‘Shambles’ BHA Decision: How Important is a Cheltenham Festival Prep Race?
  • Does the Equine Flu Outbreak Put the Cheltenham Festival At Risk?
  • Leopardstown's Dublin Racing Festival Pointers for Cheltenham 2019: Is Bellshill Poised for Gold Cup Glory?
  • Could the Long Range Weather Forecast Identify Cheltenham Festival 2019 Winners and Losers?
  • Is Altior Poised to Equal Big Buck’s Record 18 Wins in a Row at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival?
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 Entries: Who’s In, Who’s Out and Who Should You Back?
  • Cheltenham Festival 2019: Why are the Rooneys Boycotting the Meeting and How Will it Affect the Betting?
  • How Kempton's Great King George VI Chase Champions Have Fared at the Cheltenham Festival in March

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Mouth of Winning Horse Wearing Sash
Which Cheltenham Festival Races are Most Likely to Be Won by Favourites?
Wooden Gavel Against Spanish Flag
What is the Referee Corruption Scandal That’s Blighting Spanish Football?
Hand of Golfer Holding Ball
Adapted Golf Balls to be Introduced to Try and Make the Game Harder
Dark Bay Horse Looking Out of Indoor Stable Door
Which Trainer Has the Most Cheltenham Festival Runners?
Light Brown Horse Portrait View
How Often Do Horses with 50/1+ Odds Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Betting Sign Up Offers

  • Free Bets
    • Bet £5 Get £20/£30+
    • Bet £10 Get £30/£40+
    • Casino Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Free Spins

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • Grand National Winners
    • Grand National Fences
    • Prize Money
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • What Is the Virtual Grand National?
    • Grand National Sponsors
    • Reserve Horses
    • How Many Horses Finish?
    • How Many Horses Run?
    • Most Successful Owners
    • Changes Over Time
    • Female Jockeys
    • Grey Horses in the Grand National
    • Amateur Jockeys
    • Popularity
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
    • Top Jockeys
    • Amateur Races
  • Premier League
    • Without the Big Six?
  • Irish Lottery

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis
betting-sites.co.uk
gambling-sites.co.uk

Please bet responsibly. If you need help to stop gambling visit Gamstop.


Copyright © 2023 Betting-Offers.com | BeGambleAware.org 18+