Cheltenham Festival 2021 Betting Guide

Not only is the Cheltenham Festival one of the biggest – if not the biggest – event of the season for racing fans, it’s also a big time of year for the bookmakers. With so much interest in the sport of horse racing, those friendly bookies really excel themselves when it comes to excellent value Cheltenham betting offers and Cheltenham festival free bets.

Exclusive Cheltenham 2021 Betting Offers (Upd. 18/03/2021)

2021 Cheltenham Festival Schedule

Page Contents

How to Bet on Cheltenham Festival – Betting Guide

The real thrill in the Cheltenham Festival comes in placing a bet on the outcome of the races, but how to go about it? Here are a few things to bear in mind when taking a look at the Cheltenham festival 2021 betting.

Step 1 – Explore Days 1-2 Of the Cheltenham Festival

Looking ahead to that 2021 Festival, lets see exactly what we have in store.

Firstly, when is the Cheltenham festival? The action kicks off on Tuesday 16th March 2021 and runs through until Friday 19th March. Be sure to get those Cheltenham festival 2021 dates in your diary.

You may be wondering how many races there are at the Cheltenham Festival? The answer is 28 in all. Every day at Cheltenham is absolutely top notch, but each of the cards has its own standout Cheltenham Festival races.

Day 1 – Tuesday 16th March 2021

Day 1 takes place on Tuesday 16 March 2021 and we’ll hear the famous Cheltenham roar from the packed stands as the tape goes up for the first race. Plenty for punters to get excited about here, including the Mares Hurdle which has provided us with some memorable renewals over the years. It is also the hurdlers who take centre stage on the opening day as the field line up for the Champion Hurdle itself. As the title would suggest, this is the race which crowns the current king over the smaller obstacles. Who will prove to be queen of Prestbury Park this time?

Cheltenham Day 1 Race Schedule

Day 2: Wednesday 17th March 2021

Day 2 takes place on Wednesday 17 March 2021 and the Ballymore Novices Hurdle serves as a delicious appetiser for the feast that lies ahead. All eyes will be on the Champion Chase and predicting the winner of this contest will keep backers guessing right up until the finish line.

There are many highlights on Day 2, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase which has been the scene of some truly memorable moments over the years, including the incredible return of Sprinter Sacre in 2016; barely a dry eye in the house that day. Also on the card are the festivals only flat race of the Champion Bumper and the biggest, most fiercely competitive handicap of the week in the Coral Cup which is always one of the most popular Cheltenham horse racing betting events.

Cheltenham Day 2 Race Schedule

Day 3 – Thursday 18th March 2021

Day 3 takes place on Thursday 18 March 2021. It may be the penultimate day of racing and punters will begin to look ahead to the Gold Cup but there’s a few Grade 1 races that deserve our attention first. Paisley Park has been quoted in the antepost Cheltenham Festival betting for the Stayers Hurdle and traders fancy him to book another visit to the Gloucestershire winners enclosure.

Stamina is to the fore in the Day 3 feature of the Stayers Hurdle. Three miles is the trip for this often grueling affair; who will stay on the best up that unforgiving Cheltenham Hill? Such has been the quality of the Ryanair Chase in recent years that it has legitimate claims to being the best race on the Thursday card, with recent winners including the likes of the brilliant Vautour and Un De Sceaux, and one of the most popular jumpers in recent memory, Cue Card.

Cheltenham Day 3 Race Schedule

Day 4: Friday 19th March 2021

Day 4 takes place on Friday 19 March 2021. An unlucky day for the superstitious but it will be a bag of treats for those following the racing at Prestbury Park, especially the 2021 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. One of the biggest races on the UK schedule, it will be watched by packed crowds with millions more around the world glued to the live TV coverage.

The crème de la crème of the chasing division do battle over a trip of 3m2f which will expose any chinks in the armour of even the most talented performer. For connections of the top chasers, this is the race they all want to win.

Topping the bill on the undercard is the opening 2m1f Triumph Hurdle. The only contest of the week restricted solely to four year olds, it’s the perfect race to view the potential superstars of the future.

Cheltenham Day 4 Race Schedule

Step 2 – Choose Your Bookie

When choosing an online bookmaker to bet on the Cheltenham Festival with, there are some key considerations you can make that help you narrow down the search from the many sportsbooks out there on the internet:

1. Good odds – When betting on the hugely competitive races at Cheltenham, it’s only fair that you get prices which reflect that. A top online bookie should offer you industry leading odds so that you feel the bets you are placing are value.
2. Large selection of markets and offers – Standard betting doesn’t go anywhere near far enough at the Festival. You want active ante post markets and, nearer to Cheltenham, non-runner no bet terms which return your stake if your fancied horse doesn’t run. As well as place, match, without the favourite and distance betting, lookout for the best odds guaranteed from when Festival races declare.
3. Cheltenham Promotions – Bookmakers know how special this meeting this. They will want to drum up as much business as possible during the Festival, so keep your eyes peeled for Cheltenham specific promotions. These may be money back or free bet tokens if your horse places instead of wins or finishes second to the SP favourite.
4. Extra place races – With reference to the Cheltenham Festival handicaps in particular, having the bookies pay out on fourth, fifth and even sixth place with each-way bet is also a massive plus. These events are so competitive that it can incentivise you to take a punt if extra places are covered.
5. User friendly site and app– It almost goes without saying that the sportsbook you bet on should make betting on the Cheltenham Festival quick and easy. The same goes for a mobile app for your smartphone or tablet. A streamlined gambling experience is what you’re after here.
6. Convenient payment options – When funding your bets, you should also have a choice of methods. Whether it’s bank transfers via your debit card, or using one of the modern eWallet services like PayPal, you chosen bookie should provide a variety of safe and secure payment options for you.

TOP UK Bookmakers Reviews:

Step 3 – Explore Cheltenham 2021 Offers For New & Existing Customers

Betting offers and promotions for the 2021 Cheltenham Festival are yet to be released. Meanwhile, with the Cheltenham ante post market open and thriving, we have best odds guaranteed and non runner no bet offers – check them out below.

Besides that, while the Festival is several months ahead, the Cheltenham Trials season is underway! Take advantage of betting offers below to make your trials betting even more fun.

Bookmakers Paying Extra Places On 2021 Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Money Back Specials

Enhanced Odds Promotions

Bookmakers Offering Best Odds Guaranteed On 2021 Cheltenham Festival

Step 4 – Learn About Cheltenham Betting Markets

Horse to Win or Each-way

The simplest bet to place on the Cheltenham Festival and it can be applied to any race on any of the four days of Prestbury Park action. This a single bet on your selection to finish 1st in the specified race. If it does you will bank a return. If it ends 2nd or below you lose your stake.

Each-way is a bet on your pick to finish in the major places. This is usually the first three, but each-way terms depend on the number of runners. An example of each-way could be ¼ the odds a place 1-2-3.

Forecast / Tricast

This bet is a little more complicated than the one above. Again, you are predicting which horse will win the race but a forecast challenges you to also pick the runner that will finish 2nd. The two on your bet slip must finish in the right order, 1st and 2nd.

With a tricast you must call the first three in the race, 1st, 2nd and 3rd in that order. Tricast bets aren’t available in all races, so check before attempting to make this type of wager. Forecast and Tricast bets are notorious for large pay-outs at the Cheltenham Festival.

Placepot & Pool

When betting at the Cheltenham Festival 2021 you can choose between a fixed-odds bet or the Tote Pool returns. The Tote also run several special bets, such as a Placepot and Jackpot. The Placepot is a wager which challenges backers to pick a horse to place in the first six races of the meeting. It doesn’t matter if your pick wins or ends in the major places, the bet continues to the next race. Get through all six and you’ll land a return. The amount due depends on how many winners have a claim on the pot, similar to a lottery. Try out a Cheltenham placepot this March.

Match Betting

This bet is very interesting as you are picking one horse to beat another. It could be in a two-runner field or a 22-runner field. When placing a match bet you are calling Horse A to beat Horse B and it doesn’t matter in which order they finish the race. It could be 1st and 2nd or second last and last. As long as your pick ends higher up the final order than its rival you will be paid out a profit. The match bets may be decided by the trading team or you can take two horses of your choosing.

Top Trainer/Top Jockey

Value for money bet that gives players an interest for the duration of the Cheltenham Festival, lasting from Tuesday to Friday. Here you are placing your stake on which trainer will have the most winners or which jockey will ride the most champions.

The odds are determined by traders and are calculated by how many horses a trainer or jockey has with a genuine chance of winning the race. This could be favourites or those near the head of the market. This will give you an interest in every race as you tally the winners of your trainer or jockey against that of their rivals.

Step 6 – Find Out Who TOP Cheltenham Trainers and Jockeys Are

Before you start betting on Cheltenham, it is good to know which trainers and jockeys are worth following. The tables below show the top four riders and handlers over the last five National Hunt seasons (as of before The November Meeting 2020). Note that following some stables and jockeys doesn’t pay from a level stakes profit perspective:

Top Cheltenham Trainers

Top Cheltenham Jockeys

Nicky Henderson

From the last five Cheltenham Festivals, Nicky Henderson has sent out 15 winners from his Seven Barrows stables in the horse racing hub of Lambourn. If recent trends are anything to go by, you are better off following his horses during the first two days of the meeting. All but one of Henderson’s Festival winners between 2016 and 2020 inclusive came on Champion Hurdle day or Ladies Day (seven apiece). He has started the 2020-21 National Hunt season in typically strong fashion. The Henderson yard has the early ante post favourites for the Arkle in Shishkin and reigning Champion Hurdle heroine Epatante among his leading Cheltenham contenders this time around.

Gordon Elliott

County Meath trainer Gordon Elliott saddled 27 Cheltenham Festival winners over the last five years. He has traditionally peaked on the middle two days of the meeting. Of his many victories between 2016 and 2020 inclusive, two-thirds of his successes came on Ladies Day or the Thursday of the Festival. At this very early stage, Elliott has the ante post favourites for the National Hunt Chase and Champion Bumper in Galvin and Sir Gerhard respectively. The undefeated Envoi Allen, who is 2-2 at Cheltenham, heads the market for both the RSA and Marsh Novices’ Chase, meanwhile. Elliott is already enjoying a typically fine jumps season in his native Ireland with more to come.

Willie Mullins

As the winningmost trainer in Cheltenham Festival history, anything saddled by County Carlow handler Willie Mullins always merits consideration. Over the last five years at the prestigious National Hunt meeting, he has sent out 31 winners from his stables at Closutton in the Emerald Isle. Mullins has a strong recent record in the Arkle and Ryanair Chase, and has dominated the races for mares at Cheltenham. One of the few big events he hasn’t won is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but he finally put his Gold Cup hoodoo to rest with Al Boum Photo scoring back-to-back successes in the blue riband steeplechase. The Mullins yard is never not in form and there are many horses of interest trained in it with one eye on the Festival. Chacun Pour Soi is Champion Chase favourite having missed the race in 2020 due to a late injury, while novice mare Shewearsitwell keeps progressing. Mullins will want to win the inaugural Mares’ Chase and should have a strong hand for it.  

Other trainers

Fergal O’Brien is one of a few local trainers to Cheltenham, alongside former mentor Nigel Twiston-Davies, Tom George and Kim Bailey who have stables in Gloucestershire. These handlers find it difficult to get in amongst the winners at the Festival, but are well worth looking at for other meetings at the course earlier in the season. Paul Nicholls is also having a fine campaign with his runners. He enjoyed eight winners at Cheltenham Festivals over the last five years and has won many of the top races held there in his training career. Nicholls’ Ditcheat stables are home to Politologue, the winner of the 2020 Champion Chase, and Stayers’ Hurdle hopeful McFabulous.

Step 7 – Learn Betting Terms You Might Hear at the Cheltenham Festival

Horse racing is a sport that so many terms in it, but we can help beginners to bust the jargon with this brief glossary that explains and defines phrases and words you may hear during the Cheltenham Festival:

Bumpers

Tthe colloquial name for National Hunt Flat Races. Most bumpers are run over a distance of about two miles. Cheltenham is home to the Champion Bumper, traditionally the final race on Ladies Day. Unlike other events at the Festival, no obstacles of any kind are jumped by the horses competing in it. They just run on the hurdles course with those removed from their path. Bumpers are an introduction for horses who haven’t raced on the Flat before and need racecourse experience before tackling jumps. You may find plenty of Point to Point winners competing in the Champion Bumper.

Chases

A shortened form of steeplechases, these races see horses jump fences. The obstacles are taller than hurdles. There are a variety of jumps taken on a circuit of Cheltenham Racecourse. Besides regulation fences, there is a water jump in the back straight and open ditches which are more difficult than a standard obstacle. These are common to most National Hunt tracks. Newbury, where many Cheltenham Festival trials take place, has a water jump and open ditches on their chase course, for example. If a horse falls or unseats their rider at a fence, they cannot remount and continue the race.

Hurdles

These are smaller obstacles than fences made of panels sticking out of the ground at an angle and horse can flick through the top of them rather than needing a full jump. Before tackling a steeplechase, it is customary for trainers to give their horses experience of hurdling as it aids their development. Cheltenham is home to the Champion Hurdle where the best horses with the most accurate technique compete to be crowned the best over about two miles. There is also the Stayers’ Hurdle which tests racehorse stamina over the smaller obstacles with a distance of three miles.

Graded races

Class 1 races are the highest level of competition that take place in National Hunt horse racing, but they are split up into different grades. Starting with Listed, any horse who finishes in the first three gets black type next to their name – indicating their performance in a top-class race. Above that is Grade 3, then Grade 2 and Grade 1 being the highest. Here are the graded races at the Cheltenham Festival in order:

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
• Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
• Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
• Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• National Hunt Chase (Grade 2)
• Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
• Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• RSA Chase (Grade 1)
• Coral Cup (Grade 3)
• Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
• Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
• Grand Annual Chase (Grade 3)
• Marsh Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
• Pertemps Final (Grade 3)
• Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
• Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• Stable Plate (Grade 3)
• Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
• Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
• County Hurdle (Grade 3)
• Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
• Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
• Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)

Handicaps

The majority of horse races that take place are called handicaps. This is how they work. The highest rated horse entered is allotted topweight and frames the handicap. Horses with lower ratings have the difference between that and top rated horse reflected in the weight they carry. Handicaps can have graded status, but only up to Grade 2 and these are limited by a set bottom weight. The 2021 Cheltenham Festival will have nine handicaps during the meeting and these are as follows:

• Ultima Handicap Chase
• Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
• Coral Cup
• Grand Annual Chase
• Pertemps Final
• Stable Plate
• Kim Muir Challenge Cup
• County Hurdle
• Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Novice horses

A novice is a horse with no or limited winning experience of the type of race, chases or hurdles, that it is running in. Horses retain novice status until they win a race or a certain date after winning one. It is an indicator that they either haven’t been successful in the sphere or are inexperienced in the discipline. It is possible for a horse to be considered a novice over hurdles, but race in open company over fences. The following races at the Cheltenham Festival are open to novices only:

• Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
• Arkle Challenge Trophy
• National Hunt Chase
• Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
• Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle
• RSA Chase
• Marsh Novices’ Chase
• Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
• Triumph Hurdle
• Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

Cross Country

The Cross Country course at Cheltenham lies in the middle of the racecourse. This is only used sparingly, about three times per year. One of those occasions is the Cross Country Chase at the Festival. The track is in a figure of eight shape and sees horses jump a variety of natural and manmade obstacles. Unlike a standard steeplechase, a Cross Country race sees horses jump banks, ditches, hedges and even a Grand National style spruce-covered fence which is the tallest on the course. They then run onto the racecourse proper and go over the final two hurdles.

Step 8 – Place a Bet and Enjoy Cheltenham Live Streaming

If you are placing a bet on the Cheltenham Festival, then no doubt you would like to watch the action unfold. Thankfully when it comes to online betting for Cheltenham, many online bookmakers are perfectly happy to cater to this desire through their live streaming services.

William Hill, Bet365, Ladbrokes and BetVictor are just a few of the firms to provide this facility. These days though it would be quicker to list the firms who don’t offer live streaming for UK horse racing than those who do. The usual caveat is that you must have placed a bet on the event in question in order to access the live stream.

Cheltenham Festival 2020 Recap

The Cheltenham Festival in 2020 was as compelling as ever with the best jumps horses in the British Isles on show. It was packed full of memorable moments across all four days of action at Prestbury Park. Here, we recap the best of the action from the Cheltenham Festival in 2020:

Epatante the Champion Hurdle Heroine

Nicky Henderson enjoyed a good opening day as, after Shishkin overcame drifting in the betting and all sorts of trouble in-running in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Epatante ran out a classy winner of the Champion Hurdle. She enhanced her connections’ fabulous record in the Festival feature hurdles contest with a three-length victory, giving owner JP McManus a ninth success.

Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead also enjoyed a double on the card courtesy of Put The Kettle On in the Arkle Challenge Trophy for novice chasers and Honeysuckle in the Mares’ Hurdle. She beat previous winners Roksana and Benie Des Dieux. Ladbrokes Trophy second The Conditional went one better in the Ultima Handicap Chase, while there was Listed success for Imperial Aura and veteran Ravenhill added his name to the illustrious roll of honour attached to the National Hunt Chase.

Politologue prevails in Champion Chase

Ladies Day at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival was supposed to be all about Altior and Tiger Roll, but the former didn’t run and the latter was beaten on the Cross Country course he had excelled over. Henderson enjoyed another double with Champ showing speed and stamina to take the RSA Novices’ Chase before Dame De Compagnie bolted up in the Coral Cup

Gordon Elliott also got in on the act with meeting banker Envoi Allen justifying all faith in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Aramax taking the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. Winners for McManus just kept on coming as French runner Easysland scalped Tiger Roll in the Cross Country Chase. Despite a decimated field for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Politologue turned up and gave Paul Nicholls a record-equalling sixth victory in the feature two-mile event over fences. Willie Mullins won a tenth Champion Bumper with Ferny Hollow too.

Min finally wins Ryanair Chase

After bumping into Altior in previous years, it was time for Min to shine at long last as he recorded a famous win in the Ryanair Chase. When Concertista went one better in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle later on the Thursday, that brought up a double for Mullins. He was eclipsed by Emerald Isle rival Elliott, however, taking a treble courtesy of Samcro just prevailing in the Marsh Novices’ Chase, Sire Du Berlais retaining his Pertemps Final crown and Milan Native landing the Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

There was a major upset in the Stayers’ Hurdle, meanwhile, with 50/1 chance Lisnagar Oscar leading home three outsiders. The fancied runners including previous winner Paisley Park just didn’t deliver over three miles. Harry Whittington enjoyed a first-ever Cheltenham Festival winner in the Stable Plate Handicap Chase with Simply The Betts beating BetVictor Gold Cup heroine Happy Diva.

Al Boum Photo defends Gold Cup

In the blue riband event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup day, Al Boum Photo make a successful defence of his crown, holding off late challenges from Cotswold Chase scorer Santini and Betfair Chase hero Lostintranslation. There was plenty of drama and excitement on the supporting card too with Goshen unlucky to unseat in the Triumph Hurdle, handing the win to Burning Victory as Mullins enjoyed the first four winners.

Saint Roi looked miles ahead of the handicapper in landing the County Hurdle on what was Barry Geraghty’s last Cheltenham Festival winner. Monkfish led home three Irish horses who kept home favourite Thyme Hill out of the frame in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Chosen Mate delivered in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase, while outsiders It Came To Pass and Indefatigable recorded memorable victories in the Foxhunter Chase and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

Cheltenham 2019 Recap

Cheltenham Festival 2019 was a memorable week of action which brought followers the best horses, jockeys, trainer and owners, all doing battle over huge sums of money and a place in the history books. The festival threw up more than a few surprises with favourites finding it difficult to live up to expectations. As is often the case at Prestbury Park it was a meeting that favoured the brave, those taking on the shortest price runners with plucky outsiders.
Below is a list of winners and prices from some of the most famous Cheltenham races from 2019:

• Festival Handicap Chase – Beware The Bear @ 10/1
• Champion Hurdle – Espoir D’Allen @ 18/1
• Coral Cup – William Henry @ 28/1
• Mares Novices Hurdle – Eglantine Du Seuil @ 50/1
• Gold Cup – Al Boum Photo @ 12/1
• Albert Bartlett – Minella Indo @ 50/1
• Grand Annual – Croco Bay @ 66/1

2019 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP WINNER – Al Boum Photo

Favourites didn’t fare too well at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, as can be seen from the above results in some of the week’s biggest races. We also witnessed a losing favourite in the standout race of the festival, Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.  Winner of that Grade 1 contest was Al Boum Photo who upset the odds to delight backers at a chunky 12/1. Paul Townend sat in the saddle and the pair finished as deserved champions in one of Europe’s premier National Hunt horse races. Al Boum Photo beat off competition from runner up Anibale Fly and Barry Geraghty at 22/1 with Bristol De Mai back in third, rounding off the major places at 18/1.

The Cheltenham betting guide shows 2019 provided star trainer Willie Mullins with his first win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but there’s expected to be many more in the years to come. That was also the first and only time jockey Paul Townend has featured in the Gold Cup winner’s enclosure.

 Cheltenham Festival History Highlights

With origins harking back all the way to 1860, the Cheltenham Festival has now provided enough unforgettable moments to fill a book, but here are a few of our own personal favourites.

Kauto Star Regains His Crown (2009)

A handful of horses have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on more than one occasion over the years – Golden Miller won it five times – but only one horse has ever regained the crown having lost it. Victorious in 2007 but mastered by stablemate Denman in 2008, the Paul Nicholls runner Kauto Star showed the fire stilled burned bright at nine years of age when bringing the house down with victory in 2009.

Sprinter Sacre Back From The Brink (2016)

In his pomp the Nicky Henderson runner, Sprinter Sacre was the most talented performer seen over fences since the legendary Arkle. Reaching the pinnacle of the two mile chase division with victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2013, it all started to go wrong thereafter. Pulled up at Kempton suffering from an irregular heartbeat, there were many calls for his retirement as he looked a shadow of his former self in subsequent starts.

Henderson kept the faith though and in 2016 there were signs of some of that old sparkle returning. Seeing him return to the scene of his finest hour to master the hot favourite Un De Sceaux at the 2016 Festival was one of the most truly spine-tingling moments witnessed in this great sport.

Dickinson Dominance (1983)

Returning to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, surely the greatest ever Cheltenham training performance came in that race in 1983.

To saddle the winner is a feat in itself, to send out the 1-2-3-4-5 is therefore truly remarkable. Remarkable but not impossible as that is exactly what trainer Michael Dickinson achieved. Bregawn being the horse to lead the quintet home.

Bottom Line

Hopefully this Cheltenham betting guide will have served to whet your appetite for what is in our opinion one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world . A perfect introduction to those new to the sport of horse racing, and for existing fans, this is the most eagerly anticipated festival of the year. Good luck with your Cheltenham 2021 betting!

Questions & Answers