Best Cheltenham Betting Offers for 2023
Welcome to our page, which lists the best 2023 Cheltenham betting offers for punters online.
All the bookmakers have the Cheltenham races priced up now – so you can use the bonus offers on the ante-post markets today.
bet365 is NRNB (non-runner, No bet) on all races, too, so you can bet knowing you won't lose your stake – if your selection is declared a non-runner between now and the time of the race.
Excellent Cheltenham 2023 Free Bets
All these top sportsbooks have great horse racing free bets and offers worth taking up.
New Horse Racing betting sites
There are even more free bets to be claimed from the latest new betting sites that serve horse racing punters – take a look at our top list below.
Up To £10 Free Bet Back if your First bet loses.
- Loyalty Bonus
- Horse Racing Promotions
- Cash Out Feature
50% as free bet upto £25 on first day losses
- UK horse racing & greyhound live streaming
- Good choice of Horse Racing from around the world.
- Fantastic Horse Racing Promotions.
Aintree Offer: 50% back as Free Bets up to £60
Bet £25 Get £10 Free Bet
- Best Odds Guaranteed
- In-Play betting Live Tracker
- Live Casino
Up to £50 Cashback
- Live Streaming
- Lucky 15/31/63 Bonuses
- Cash Out Feature
Bet £50 Get £20 Free Bet Every Monday
Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
MIN ODDS 1/3 (1.33) PER SELECTION.
£10 FREEBET / VALID 7 DAYS / T&CS APPLY /
18+ / BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG
- UK licensed
- 20 + yrs online
- Varied Bonuses
Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
- Play Bot Stats In-Play service
- Good variety and choice of Football Leagues
- Live Betting
Bet £15 Get £10 Free Bet
- Live Betting
- eSports
- Choice of Sports
Get 50% Back as a Free Bet up to £35 Plus 10 Free Spins
- Strong offer of sports markets
- Easy to navigate and use
- Great number of bonuses
Bet £10 Get £15
- Horse Racing & Greyhounds
- In-Play betting
- Live Casino
Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
- Decent Banking choice
- Fully UK Licensed
- Choice of Sports
Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
- New UK betting site
- Live Interface
- Sports Choice
Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
- New betting site
- Live betting platform looks good
- Good choice of Sports
Once you have cashed in your free bets from the Cheltenham horse racing betting sites, you can use our handy bet guide with your betting strategy throughout the festival.
Cheltenham Betting Guide 2023
It comes but once a year but with horse racing odds available for the 2023 festival races punters can now get stuck into some nice Cheltenham ante-post 2023 tips.
Related Cheltenham betting Articles
- How Much Money is Bet on Cheltenham
- How To Bet on Cheltenham Races 2023
- Is 2023 Cheltenham Best Odds Guaranteed? (Best Bookies)
- How to Find the Best Cheltenham Odds
- Who Are The Favourites for Cheltenham Today
- How to Bet Ante-Post on the Cheltenham Festival
Our quick Cheltenham betting guide will give you a few pointers on betting strategies to employ over the four-day festival starting Tuesday 14th March 2023.
After all, if you know anything about horse racing, you are indeed aware of the massive popularity and importance of the Cheltenham Festival. It's attraction is far-reaching among trainers, jockeys, and owners, but also punters, viewers, and horse racing enthusiasts.
Even if you follow horse racing only occasionally, it is safe to assume that the Cheltenham Festival is one of the events that you are interested in and watch, at least one or two of the races.
Cheltenham has grown from a two-day to a four-day event over the course of the years.
When is the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?
- STARTS: The 2023 Cheltenham Festival will have its first race off at 13:30 on Tuesday, 14th March.
- ENDS: The Cheltenham Festival 2023 ends on Friday, 17th March, with the last race at 5:30.
All times are in United Kingdom Time.
The Cheltenham Festival takes place in March and is one of the most celebrated horse racing events in the NH (National Hunt) calendar.
The Festival has a hugely positive impact on the local economy of Gloucestershire.
UK bookmakers usually make quite hefty profits on the Cheltenham betting of races.
This is because punters wager about £150 million every four days, or a total of £600 million.
Cheltenham Races in 2023
See below for every horse race start time and type, including distance, over the 4 days of the Cheltenham Festival 2023.
Info courtesy of TheJockeyClub
Day 1 Tuesday 14th March
| START TIMES | RACE | DISTANCE | TYPE | TELEVISED |
| 13:30 | The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) | 2m abt ½f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 14:10 | The Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1) | abt 2m | Chase | ITV |
| 14:50 | The Ultima Handicap Steeple Chase (Grade 3) | 3m abt 1f | Chase | ITV |
| 15:30 | The Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1) | 2m abt ½f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 16:10 | The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) | 2m abt 4f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 16:50 | The Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Grade 3) | 2m abt 4½f | Hurdle | |
| 17:30 | The National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Amateur Riders’ Novices’ Steeple Chase) (Grade 2) | 3m abt 6f | Chase |
Day 2 Wednesday 15th March
| START TIMES | RACE | DISTANCE | TYPE | TELEVISED |
| 13:30 | The Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Race (Grade 1) | 2m abt 5f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 14:10 | The Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1) | 3m abt ½ f | Chase | ITV |
| 14:50 | The Coral Cup Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Grade 3) | 2m abt 5f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 15:30 | The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase (Grade 1) |
Abt 2m | Chase | ITV |
| 16:10 | The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase | 3m 6f | Chase | ITV |
| 16:50 | The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Grade 3) | 2m abt ½f | Chase | |
| 17.30 | The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) | 2m abt ½f | Bumper |
Day 3 Thursday 16th March
The feature race of day 3 is the Ryanair Steeple Chase at 14:50.
| START TIMES | RACE | DISTANCE | TYPE | TELEVISED |
| 13:30 | The Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) | 2m abt 4f | Chase | ITV |
| 14:10 | The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed) | Abt 3m | Hurdle | ITV |
| 14:50 | The Ryanair Steeple Chase (Grade 1 |
2m abt 5f | Chase | ITV |
| 15:30 | The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | abt 3m | Hurdle | ITV |
| 16:10 | The Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Grade 3) | 2m abt 5f | Chase | ITV |
| 16:50 | The Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) | 2m 1f | Hurdle | |
| 17:30 | Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (sponsored by the JRL Group) (0-145) | 3m abt 2f | Chase |
Day 4 Friday 17th March Gold Cup Day
| START TIMES | RACE | DISTANCE | TYPE | TELEVISED |
| 13:30 | The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m abt 1f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 14:10 | The McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle Race (Grade 3) | 2m abt 1f | Hurdle | ITV |
| 14:50 | The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Race (Grade 1) | abt 3m | Hurdle | ITV |
| 15:30 | The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1) | 3m abt 2½ f | Chase | ITV |
| 16:10 | The St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Steeple Chase | 3m abt 2½ f | Chase | ITV |
| 16:50 | The Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Steeple Chase (Grade 2) | 2m abt ½f | Chase | |
| 17:30 | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (0-145) | 2m abt 4½ f | Hurdle |
Race Info and Stats
- The number of races held during the Festival increased to 28 in 2019.
- Most races are hurdle and steeplechase, but there’s also one flat race.
- Most of the races at the Cheltenham Festival are Grade 1 races.
- However, there are also several Grade 3 races and listed and ungraded races.
A few of the races are particularly popular, and it is worth mentioning them – Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and World Hurdle.
The shortest race is 2 miles long, and the longest is twice as many – 4 miles.
Cheltenham Betting Strategy
There are many different races at the Cheltenham Festival, so it is challenging to develop a simple betting strategy for the whole event. However, there are things that you should always consider. This is regardless of whether you bet on just one or most of the races.
Betting on the favourite especially when the odds are pretty low, around evens or anything below 3/1, might be the most straightforward and obvious strategy. Still, it might not be the most profitable strategy.
First of all, surprises do happen at Cheltenham betting on races. They happen a lot more often then you may think.
Jockeys Are Important
That doesn’t mean that you should not bet on the favourite under any circumstances or ever. If you go through the statistics of Cheltenham races of previous years, you will notice a situation where a horse at odds 8/1, for example, wins more often than once in eight years.
Also, never underestimate the jockey; it is not irrelevant. Some jockeys are more successful than others, and which jockey is riding the horse influences the final result.
The trainers are no less important.
For example, if a jockey finishes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd regardless of which horse he is riding, then it might be safe to assume that he will manage to do so again.
On the other hand, when a jockey has a streak of good results in a row, especially if he managed to win several races in a row, that doesn’t mean he has to keep up his form.
Everybody is bound to lose some time, and if the odds are good enough, you might consider backing another horse to win.
Consider Other Betting Markets and Options
If you like to be successful and want to finish the Cheltenham Festival with a profit, you should definitely do some research on the participants, both horses, jockeys, and trainers, and then reach a conclusion about what to bet on.
Also, remember that betting on the race winner isn’t the only option.
As the event approaches, bookies offer broader betting markets for each race and special bets.
Top 3 finishes as the second most popular betting option for individual races.
Very rarely do all 3 horses that are best ranked manage to finish in the top three. Although this can happen, the odds for the lower-ranked horses to finish in the top 3 are usually relatively high. So it is worth considering.
Odds and Statistics
If you are at the track and can see the horses, it is best to check what they look and act like before the race.
Of course, nobody expects you to be a skilled vet. However, if you notice something weird about the horse, for example, that it is restless or nervous, backing that horse to win might not be the best idea.
It is wise to focus on only several races instead of betting a small amount on every race.
There is typically more information on the more popular and renowned races. However, there are millions of wagers on them as well, making the bookmakers a lot more cautious regarding the odds.
Often, you can get better odds on some of the more obscure and less popular races.
Always study statistics carefully before you reach a decision.
There are many statistical categories that you should consider.
Queen Mother Champion Chase Example
- For example, even though the first Queen Mother Champion Chase was held in 1959, only on 11 occasions was the winning horse younger than 8 years.
- The minimum participation age for horses for this race is 5 years.
- On the other hand, the winning horse has been exactly 8 years of age on 20 occasions, more than a third of the total number of races.
- However, the winning horse was 8 years old, only once in the ten years between 2006 and 2016.
Facts like these might help you identify value bets, but always remember there are no guarantees.
Bankroll Management
And finally, but perhaps the most crucial thing about Cheltenham betting is bankroll management. Bankroll management is essential for any betting. However, it is especially important here as Cheltenham is a 4-day festival with numerous races.
If you are too careless and don’t pay attention to how much you wager and how many races you wager on, you may break before you realise. It is best to set a specific amount of money you will bet throughout the Cheltenham Festival.
Remember that when you win, you shouldn’t add that to the amount you’re going to wager.
After all, you should determine how much you’re going to wager, not how much you’ll lose and adding all the winnings to the bankroll implies that you should keep betting unless you run out of money.
- You should divide your total bankroll into fractions of 1%, 2%, or 3% of the total amount.
- Never wager more than a few percent on a single bet.
It doesn’t mean you should wager the same amount on every bet.
- You may wager a smaller amount on a bet at higher odds.
- Then wager a bigger amount of money when you’re betting on the favourite for example.
Another thing that many punters neglect, especially those attending the Cheltenham Festival, is that betting while under the influence of alcohol is never a good idea.
And since a lot of alcohol is consumed at the Festival, punters make irrational decisions and often start betting compulsively.
If you plan on drinking, placing all your wagers for that day while you’re still sober is perhaps best.
Cheltenham Betting Offers
Many horse racing betting sites offer special promotions and bonuses for the Cheltenham Festival, especially for online betting. Some of these can be quite lucrative.
The first rule you should follow on the matter is that it is wise to claim a bonus only if it applies to the bet you were considering placing anyway.
Do not place a wager just because a bonus is offered on it.
A bonus offer can apply to all the Cheltenham betting races.
For example, punters might be offered a specific bonus for any wager of a certain amount, like a £3 bonus for every £15 wager.
You should claim this bonus, especially if the bonus terms and conditions are favourable.
The money-back bonus is another popular Cheltenham betting promotion.
Some operators will give you your money back for every bet where you’ve backed a horse to win, and in the end, it finished second.
Another example of a money-back bonus is when punters get their money back if the selected horse in a fence race hits the very first fence and loses as a result.
independent bookmakers can offer enhanced odds on specific selections. You will be paid the regular winning amount in cash if you claim such a bonus.
The remaining amount (the difference between the regular and enhanced odds) is paid out as free bets.
As with any bookmaker betting specials, make sure you know the full terms and conditions attached to every bonus offer.