In the months leading up to the Cheltenham Festival, the odds for Cheltenham betting are constantly updated and subject to frequent changes during the national hunt racing season.
The Cheltenham betting markets do stabilise a little as the countdown clock winds down and the months turn into weeks and days, but different bookmakers step up their marketing efforts, which means they start offering Cheltenham free bets. To that end, they come up with concessions that can lead to free bets, such refunding stakes in the event that the favourite wins a particular race.
When you’re finished with our ultimate guide to betting on the Cheltenham Festival, you’ll feel like an expert in no time, as you’ll know how to place a bet on a horse and know betting tips and tricks for beating the best horse racing betting sites.
How To Place Horse Racing Bets On Cheltenham Races
For those who are not experienced, betting at Cheltenham is a very easy process. Online bookies typically offer “Live Chat” services that allow you to chat with an available agent in a matter of seconds if you face any troubles. They are also available to help you via e-mail. Placing your Cheltenham wagers requires that you follow the following steps:
- Sign up or log in to the online bookmaker of your choice.
- Go to the section that is dedicated to Cheltenham or horse racing.
- Locate the race that you wish to wager on. Throughout the four days, there are 28 races.
- To support a particular horse, click on its betting chances.
- Your Betting Slip will then have this option added to it.
- Set your amount and, if desired, the each-way option from the betting slip section.
- To confirm your wager, click the Place Bet button.
Racecards & Betting at Cheltenham: What is a Racecard?
The last-minute announcements made prior to a race are listed on a racecard. Along with important details like age, weight, rating, and recent form, you can discover the name and number of each participating horse, as well as their jockey and trainer.
Though they won’t provide advice, racecards will assist you in making decisions by providing you with all the pertinent information before you make your final decisions. On a racecard, you’ll find all the information you need. What you need to know is the fundamental facts about the horse, jockey, and trainer.
- Age of the horse
- Rating of the horse
- Weight carried
- Recent form
- If the horse has won on the ground, course or over the distance
- If the horse has been a beaten favourite in the past
Numerous pieces of information are mentioned in horse racing cards, which you may use to improve your betting choices. Some strategies that individuals have used in the past to place a bet on a horse include choosing horses who have won at the course, won over the distance, or won last time out. These strategies are only known if you obtain details from a racecard.
Cheltenham Bet Types: How To Choose The Best One For You
You may bet on the Cheltenham Festival in a variety of ways, ranging from straightforward selections, such as “win” bets to “Tricasts and Trifectas,” “Exactas” to “Scoop 6.”
It is advisable to select your desired outcome before to selecting your bet type when placing bets on the Cheltenham Festival. Sometimes a complicated multi-leg bet is necessary to win a larger sum of money. It could be wiser to go with an each-way bet, which offers a smaller payout but a far higher probability of a return.
To Win
Of all the bets, a “to win” bet is the easiest to understand. If you are unlucky enough to lose one of them during the Cheltenham Festival, you will probably receive a free bet from the top bookmakers. Things like losing by half a length or less or finishing second to the favourite are examples of free bet incentives.
Each-Way Bets
The online betting stakes for an each-way bet are divided between a win bet and a place bet. You will get paid for a part of the bet at a small percentage of the selection’s cost (usually a fourth of the odds) if it places third. This means that if you back a 10/1 shot that wins for £1 each-way (a bet that will cost £2), you will receive a return of £11 for the win portion of the bet, plus an extra £3.50 for the “place” portion (a quarter of 10/1 is 5/2, therefore £1 at 5/2 gives you a £3.50 return) for a total return of £14.50.
Exacta / Straight-Forecast Bets / Tricast / Trifecta Bets
With tote betting type of bets, i.e with “exacta” or “straight-forecast,” you must choose the first and second in the right order, but in a “tricast” or “trifecta,” you must locate the first, second, and third in the right order. Although this is undoubtedly a difficult undertaking, the winnings and money back you gain can be huge, particularly at events like the Cheltenham Festival when the fields are rather large.
An explanation of the many sorts of bets they accept and how payouts are determined may be found on the majority of online sportsbooks. Together with advice on well-liked multiple bets like Lucky 15s and Lucky 31s, this is also available.
Cheltenham Betting Odds 101: They’re Not Difficult To Understand
While most Cheltenham Festival punters will be putting their first-ever horse racing bet on this event, here’s a brief overview for new customers who may not be familiar with betting odds.
Fractional and decimal are the two standard formats for displaying gambling odds. It will show two numbers, like 5/2, for fractional odds. The winning amount is shown by the first number in this case, and the bet required to obtain the prizes is shown by the second number. By betting £2 at 5/2, you will receive a return of your £2 deposit in addition to £5 bet in profits.
It will show 3.50, the same price in decimal odds. The amount that you will gain after making a 1.0 (or £1) bet is displayed below. The majority of bettors in the UK and Ireland opt to view proportional odds. Theoretically, a pick has a lower chance of winning the higher the price. However, as a result, you will win more when one of these picks does win.
How to Choose a Cheltenham Festival Winner
In principle, it should be easy to determine the Cheltenham winner. There are often one or two cheap favourites to root for out of the 28 available events, including some “championship races” where all competitors are given equal weight.
The “weight of money” causes favourites—the horse with the lowest price in the betting—to become cheap. The “betting favourite” has earned its nickname and value from being the choice of bettors, whose combined bets determine its price. Theoretically, the consensus of the many should finally determine our “favourite,” or the most probable winner of any race.
Still, there are a lot of things to think about before placing any kind of bet on horse racing. Is your horse a high-energy horse? Since races are typically conducted at a fairly quick pace, if that is the case, it could do better than it has in the past at Cheltenham. Is it possible that the rain will make the racecourse more difficult? When racing on soft ground, some horses thrive in giving it their all, while others struggle on-course.
Cheltenham Betting Tips
If you’re looking for a seriously exciting sports to place your bets on, it’s not only for four days; the Cheltenham Festival excitement lasts for a full year.
Bettors can win big at the Cheltenham Festival. In March, over 28 races and four days of activity are anticipated to see the exchange of more than half a billion British pounds. We cover all aspect of the Cheltenham Festival, from long shot ante-post bets to daily racing activity at the festival. Our horse racing experts’ best tips for every punter, no matter your betting level, are featured below:
- Picks with a 4/1 or higher each-way price should be backed. In this case, you will get your bet back or make money if they finish in the frame.
- Bet early to get the best Cheltenham betting offers; with “Best Odds Guaranteed” offered by all major bookmakers, there is little risk and a large reward for beating the SP (starting price).
- Make the most of the Cheltenham free bet deals and race day incentives.
Cheltenham Betting FAQ’s
At the Cheltenham Festival, how can I place a bet?
There are many ways to place bets on Cheltenham races at the Festival. You may just go to one of the many. Using one of the bookies who set up mobile shop in front of the grandstand during the race is an alternative approach. In addition, you can always pull out your smartphone and place an online bet if none of those approaches appeals to you.
How are the numbers on horse racecards chosen?
A horse’s weight determines the race’s numbers; the top weight receives number 1, and the remaining weights are ranked according to weight. When there are no differences in weight, individuals bearing the same weight are sorted alphabetically.
What are the Cheltenham Festival’s main events?
A total of 28 elite races (seven each day) are held throughout the four-day Cheltenham Festival. There are five major championship races: the Champion Chase on Day 2, the Ryanair Chase and Stayers Hurdle on Day 3, the Champion Hurdle on Day 1, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Day 4.
Which race is Group 1?
The highest level of flat racing is seen in Group 1 events. A grading system is used in horse racing for all races. Equestrians can ascend through many races on the flat track until they can participate in Listed events, Group 3 races, Group 2 races, and ultimately Group 1 races.
The largest rewards are usually awarded to Group 1 competitors (unless in cases when the handicaps are greater). Except that group races are the highest level, a similar method is used in National Hunt events.
