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.

20 ratings
Review
Up To £10 Free Bet Back if your First bet loses.
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
T&C’s apply. 18+. New players only. Deposit & stake £10+ on your 1st bet at min odds of 1.5 (1/2) within 3 days of registering & get a £10 Free Bet if your bet loses. Free Bet only valid on multiples with 3+ legs & min cumulative odds of 3.0 (2/1). Min odds of 1.4 (2/5) per leg required. Free Bet must be used within 3 days of it being credited. Promo period: 01/03/2023 – 31/12/2023.
  • Loyalty Bonus
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18 ratings
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50% as free bet upto £25 on first day losses
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
18+ only Full Terms and conditions apply.
  • UK horse racing & greyhound live streaming
  • Good choice of Horse Racing from around the world.
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18 ratings
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Aintree Offer: 50% back as Free Bets up to £60
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
18+ New customers only. UK debit cards only. Promo code AINTREEWELCOME must be used. Certain bet types are excluded. 3 x £20, or more, Qualifying bets must be placed on Aintree events only. First day means the day you place a bet on Aintree, after 7 am, for a race on that day. Your Free Bet will be credited within 24 hours of qualifying bets settlement and expire after 48 hours. The Free Bet is capped at £60. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
18 ratings
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Bet £25 Get £10 Free Bet
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18+ only. New UK/Ire customers only. Full Terms & Conditions apply.
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Up to £50 Cashback
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18+. full terms and conditions apply to all promotions and bonuses.
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Bet £50 Get £20 Free Bet Every Monday
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
Disclaimer: Opt-in Required. Free bet is a one-time stake, minimum odds of 2, stake is not returned. IX wagering the winnings. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Minimum of £50 worth of qualifying bets. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply
18 ratings
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Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
18+ Only. Full T&C's apply. DEPOSIT AND PLACE A £10 TREBLE OR MORE /
MIN ODDS 1/3 (1.33) PER SELECTION.
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  • UK licensed
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22 ratings
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Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
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18+, Mr. Play Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Minimum Deposit of £10, Maximum of £10 free bet. Valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Full T&C's apply.
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18 ratings
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Bet £15 Get £10 Free Bet
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
Max. Free Bet Token amount: £10. Minimum Deposit: £10. Minimum wagering on Sport to activate the Free Bet Token: £15.
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18 ratings
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Get 50% Back as a Free Bet up to £35 Plus 10 Free Spins
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If your account has Sportsbook losses at the end of your first day's betting, QuinnBet will refund 50% of your losses as a Free Bet up to £35 (min 3 bets) Plus 10 Free Spins on Reel Diamonds. T&Cs apply | 18+ New UK Customers Only | BeGambleAware.org
  • Strong offer of sports markets
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20 ratings
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Bet £10 Get £15
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18+ Full Terms and conditions apply.
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18 ratings
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Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
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T&Cs apply | 18+ New United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Germany and Canada customers Only | BeGambleAware.org
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18 ratings
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Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
Applies only to new depositing players. 18+. Minimum deposit for 1st deposit bonus: £10. Welcome Package split over 3 deposits. Minimum deposit for 2nd & 3rd deposit bonus: £20. 35x Wagering requirement applies to match up bonus. 100 spins splits to 20 spins a day for 5 days. Spins credited in specific games. Spins expire after 24 hours. 50x Wagering requirement applies to spins. Terms and Conditions apply.
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Bet £10 Get £10 Free Bet
#AD 18+ Terms & conditions apply. Begambleaware.org
18+. Full Terms and conditions apply.
  • New betting site
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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

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.

Cheltenham Betting 2019 Guide

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.

attendees are estimated to gulp down more than 250,000 pints of Guinness and over 120,000 bottles of wine during the four Festival days.

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

The feature race of the opening day of Cheltenham is the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a 2-mile Grade 1 race. The race start time is 15:30.
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 third day of action at the Cheltenham Festival 2022 also celebrates St Patrick's Day.

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

the 4th and final day celebrates what will hopefully be an epic Cheltenham Gold Cup. The race goes more than three miles and two furlongs long and is the biggest race of the whole Cheltenham Festival event. It's due at 15:30, and the winner will collect the Gold Cup.
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.

If you believe that a horse might cause an upset but are not bold enough to bet that it will win, betting on that horse to finish top 3 is a very sound option.

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.