Cheltenham Festival Betting – Legal Sports Sites To Bet On The Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival has been an indelible part of the horse racing culture for more than two centuries and is considered to be one of the most famous horse racing events in the world.

The entire racing event spans over four incredible days filled with exhilarating hurdle races, flat races, jumps, and many more.

More than 200 thousand people frequent the Cheltenham facilities and travel to and fro the venue that houses an average of 65 thousand people in attendance at every single event.

The Cheltenham Festival is held at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire and is a venue where top horses and jockeys will compete for the prize pool rivalled only to the Grand National championship.

With more than £1 million per day reserved for the winners of 28 different races, you can expect to see and experience fierce competitive spirit on the racetrack. Adding to this competitiveness is the roar generated by the people in the stands which, thanks to the amount of noise created, is dubbed the ‘Cheltenham Roar’.

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The beginning of March usually marks the start of the Cheltenham Festival that also covers St. Patrick’s Day and celebrates it on the third day of the festival. The Irish particularly love this day at Cheltenham where many of the outrageous outfits are put on display in honor of this patron saint of Ireland that is revered across the world.

St. Patrick’s day is not the only special feature of the Cheltenham Festival. Betting is also one of the most important aspects of this horse racing festival, with more than 250 rails of bookmakers taking your every bet right at the stands, plus thousands of betting sites you visit and get high odds and possible payouts.

There is a massive crowd of 20 thousand punters every year at Cheltenham who have a vast number of bets to choose from, and if you are one of them, there is a good chance you might get confused. However, don’t fret. We have prepared a concise guide that will tell you more about sportsbooks with the best offer, types of bets, betting options, odds, and some tricks you can use to maximize your success when betting on the Cheltenham Festival. Read on!

Betting on the Cheltenham Festival events and races is a premier betting experience across the board, especially when betting on horse races is concerned. There is a vast number of betting platforms on the market today that include betting on the Cheltenham Festival, but not all of them have the best odds and betting options. Our team of experts and horse racing connoisseurs has compiled a list of the very best of them on the web where you can test your luck and skill, so pay close attention to these betting sites.

Popular Cheltenham Festival Events

The Cheltenham Festival, as we have said before, is a four-day festival that is comprised of individual events that differ both in the type of races available on that particular day and in the accompanying festivities that include fashion shows and celebrations.

Champion Day

The entire festival begins with the famed Champion Day and, judging by the “Cheltenham Roar” that can be heard from the stands, it is the fans’ favourite. What is put on display on Champion Day is the first class quality jump racing, paired with world-class hospitality and live music in all enclosures.

The fun starts with Supreme Novice’s Hurdle Race that gathers the top young talent of both England and Ireland who then lock horns in what is always described as one of the most heated contentions on the horse race track. Furthermore, the marquee event of Champion Day is a Grade 1 Champion Hurdle race run on the Old Course, which is the most prestigious event in the National Hunt calendar where the top hurdlers clash.

It is particularly attractive to punters because the favourites are not usually the ones taking home the gold and lofty prizes.

This year, Champion Day was marked by a fall of jockey Ruby Walsh at the final hurdle riding the odds-on favourite Benie Des Dieux which brought great disappointment to punters and much joy to the betting sites and platforms.

Another momentous victory was achieved on Champion Day by a once-a-year punter on his annual coach trip to Cheltenham Festival. This gambler selected a single winner in each of the opening day’s six races and received a bumper payout despite only having four winners. This racegoer won a massive £182,567.80 on a £2 bet and set a remarkable record.

Ladies Day

Ladies Day is the second day of the Cheltenham Festival and the one that probably attracts the biggest crowd. It is marked by a fashion competition for the best-dressed lady of the festival whose dresses and hats are lavishly designed and decorated. What is considered a must-have accessory for their outfit is a fancy fascinator and outrageous hats. The gentlemen are often seen wearing tails, tweeds or three-piece suits.

This day combines some of the most exciting races, such as the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which is a steeplechase race open to horses aged five years or older, with a beauty pageant for the best-dressed lady of the course.

St Patrick’s Thursday

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the third day of the festival and represents a typically Irish affair with many symbols of Ireland, such as leprechauns and shamrocks, dominating the outfits and the venue itself. Authentic Irish traditional music can be heard blaring from the speakers at the Guinness Village and many pints of the most excellent Guinness draught complementing the celebration.

Apart from the jolly atmosphere, the races are also top-notch and kick off with The JLT Novices’ Chase, followed by The Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Steeplechase so that you can see the best of both hurdle and steeplechase racing.

The Golden Cup

The Golden Cup is the pinnacle of Cheltenham Festival and occurs on the last day of the festival. It is a steeplechase racing event reserved for horses aged 5 and more which has been staged since 1924. The race track is almost 3 miles long and has 22 obstacles.

The winner of the Golden Cup receives a trophy that weighs 644 grams worth of nine-carat gold plated in 18-carat gold to give it extra shine. Also, the winner of the Golden Cup receives a staggering prize of £625,000, which makes it the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain.

Different Cheltenham Festival Betting Selections

What makes the Cheltenham Festival so popular among the punters is the vast offer of different bets. These bets are the common bets that you can find at any horse racing event and they include everything from single and multiple bets that belong to the group of straight bets, to another major group of exotic bets. You can also choose to bet either on a single event or on multiple events during the day.

Novice punters are recommended to start with traditional straight bets on single events and work their way up to the more complicated ones, known as exotic bets, and even bet on multiple events on that day. These bets usually don’t require you to spend a lot of money, but the wins can still be substantial. Read on to find out more about the types of bets you can place at the Cheltenham Festival horse racing event.

Traditional Straight Bets

These traditional straight bets are the safest way to place a bet at Cheltenham Festival as they usually cost less per wager and, consequently, offer lower profit margins. Players who opt for them are novice bettors or the ones that want to play it safe.

Place — With place bet, you will pick a horse that you think can finish first or second.

Win — Win bet lets you bet on the winner of the race.

Show — Show bet allows you to pick a horse you think can win a place on the podium.

Exotic Bets

The exotic bets a more pricey than the straight bets, but also entail larger winnings if your choices prove to be correct. You can rely on the following exotic bets:

Exacta — You will pick two horses to finish a race in 1st and 2nd place, respectively.

Trifecta — With Trifecta, you will pick 3 horses to finish first, second, and third in that particular order.

Superfecta — An extension on Trifecta but with one more horse added to the bet, so you need to pick 4 horses to finish the race in the exact order.

Quinella — This type of bet is similar to Exacta; however, with Quinella, you don’t need to predict the exact order of the two winners.

Multiple Bets

Multiple bets are also known as multi-race bets and are very popular among experienced punters who prefer more complicated bets.

Daily Double — A Daily Double bet requires you to pick the winners of two consecutive nominated races on the same day.

BIG6 — With BIG6, you have to choose the winners of 6 nominated races, with at least one selection in all 6 legs.

Quadie — Similar to BIG6, it requires you to select the winners of 4 races.

Cheltenham Festival Betting Tips and Strategies

In all honesty, betting on horse racing and particularly on Cheltenham Festival can seem complicated to some, and that is not far from the truth. With various horse betting expressions and terms, it can be challenging for some to master it, but you are not without help. If you need more info on how to maximise your bets on Cheltenham Festival, read our tips and tricks below.

Stick With the Favourites But Not Blindly

Although the profit margins when betting on the favourites are not significant, they are ultimately the safest way to go. When you hear the names of horses and jockeys who won the previous competitions and after checking their Cheltenham form, especially in terms of the handicap bets, you will get the right idea and know what to expect.

Walk Around the Ring and Get a Measure of the Racers

When the horses are put on the display around the ring, you can get a good measure of them and see if they are nervous or not, what is their current condition, and so on. Also, you can talk to jockeys and get a glimpse of their tactics and plans.

Be on the Lookout for the Best Betting Offers

With hundreds of bookmakers trying to entice you into playing on their sites, you can feel confused and maybe fail to choose the right one. Guides such as this one can help you stay on top of your game and see which one is best suited for you and which can give you the best bonuses and promotions.

Legality of Betting For The Cheltenham Festival

If you come from a country that has regulated sports betting, the chances are you can freely bet on horse races, and especially the horse racing at Cheltenham Festival, as it is one of the most famous horse racing events and online sportsbooks will surely include it.

Conclusion

Horse racing is an exciting sport with a long tradition that goes back thousands of years. Modern horse racing is equally as fascinating, especially when we add the thrill that rises from betting on horse racing events such as the ones at the Cheltenham Festival. Refer to our list of the best online sportsbooks for the valuable info on the best odds and betting offers. Good luck!

Cheltenham Festival FAQ Section

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David Nugent Editor

First off, I want to say hi and wish a warm welcome to all gambling aficionados out there! My name is David Nugent and I am editor-in-chief of LegitGambling.com. I have always enjoyed various sports, primarily soccer, as I am a die-hard Everton fan.

Over time, I learned more about sports betting and discovered the fascinating online gambling industry. Eventually,...

Cheltenham Festival