Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Festival 2024 Betting & Odds

Cheltenham Festival is the premier event of the National Hunt calendar. Throughout the event’s four days, the good and great of British and Irish racing battle it out for some of the biggest prizes in racing, from the Cheltenham Gold Cup to the Stayers’ hurdle – and you can find all the latest Cheltenham odds here at Betway.

From its famously vibrant atmosphere to a prize pool worth over £6m, Cheltenham truly is the “greatest show on turf.” Legends are made at this festival, with the 28 races (including 14 Grade 1 events) providing ample opportunity for jockeys and horses to make their mark in the history books. Check out our betting site or app for the latest on Cheltenham betting and odds information.

Over 250,000 racing fans attend the event in person, with the famous Cheltenham roar proof of their passion for the sport. Millions more watch on television around the world, with anywhere between £500m and £1bn staked on Cheltenham Festival odds across the four days as bettors make the most of Cheltenham betting offers.

Other Cheltenham betting markets include top trainer, top jockey and whether the UK or Ireland will win the Prestbury Cup for amassing the most wins during the week. Of course, you can also bet on more standard markets every Cheltenham festival race at Betway, from the opening Novices Hurdle all the way to Friday’s closing Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

When is the 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

The 2024 Cheltenham Festival will take place over four days in March, beginning on Tuesday 12th March and culminating on Friday 15th March.

Where is the 2024 Cheltenham Festival Held?

The festival is staged at Cheltenham Racecourse at Prestbury Park, Gloucestershire in the Cotswolds.

What are the main races at the Cheltenham Festival?

The highlight of each day at Cheltenham arrives at 15:30, when the course is graced is headlined by a Grade 1 feature race:

Tuesday's feature race is the Champion Hurdle, which is run over a distance of 2m ½f and takes place over smaller obstacles known as hurdles. It is open to horses aged four or older.

Wednesday's feature race is the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, which is run over a distance of two miles and takes place over larger obstacles known as fences. It is open to horses aged five or older.

Thursday's feature race is the Stayers' Hurdle, which is open to horses aged four or older and is run over a longer trip of three miles that comprises 12 hurdles.

Friday's feature race is the Gold Cup, the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain. It is run over a distance of 3m 2½f that includes a total of 22 fences and is open to horses aged five or older.

Other Grade 1 races include the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Arkle on Tuesday, the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and the Champion Bumper - a flat race - on the Wednesday. Later in the week, the Turners Novices' Chase and Ryanair Chase take place on Thursday and the Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the Friday.

Who are the favourites at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival?

As soon as one Cheltenham Festival ends, speculation begins on which champions will defend their crowns the next year. As such, it’s no surprise that many racing experts have already chosen their 2024 Cheltenham favourites.

Galopin Des Champs already looks a strong favourite in the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup, thanks to his dominant win in this year’s race. He’s expected to be challenged by Gerri Colombe, followed by Bravemansgame and Shishkin.

Constitution Hill stole the headlines on Friday at Cheltenham Festival 2023, winning by nine lengths in the Champion Hurdle. He leads the betting at 8/11 as favourite in the 2024 Champions Hurdle, followed by Impaire Et Passe at 100/30.

Many may have expected Energumene to emerge as early the favourite for the 2024 Betway Queen Mother Champions, after winning in 2022 and 2023. However, El Fabiolo is currently the punters’ choice at 7/4, having won the 2023 Arkle Novices Chase.

To check out who the other current Cheltenham Festival 2024 favourites are, head to our ante-post page, where the Non-Runner No Bet concession is available as indicated.

How to bet on the 2024 Cheltenham festival

1. Win & Each Way: Check out or Win and Each-Way betting guide on the Betway Insider.

2. Head-to-Head: Head-to-Head betting is a form of sports betting where you are creating a market with two possible outcomes. For example, in a race with six runners you are betting on whether or not Horse A will beat Horse B.

3. Insurebet: This is a bet on the horse to win but you get your stake back (rather than losing the bet) if it finishes second or third, depending on the number of runners in the race.

4. Forecast (straight and reverse): A straight forecast bet is a bet where you select two horses and state the specific order in which they will finish first and second. A reversed forecast bet is very similar to a straight forecast bet in that you predict the top two finishers in a race. However, in a reversed forecast bet, it doesn't matter which order the participants finish in.

5. Trixie, Yankee, Lucky 15: Trixies, Yankees and Lucky 15s are all wagers that include multiple different bets. They add insurance to a bet, as not all selections have to win in order for the bettor to see a return. A Trixie is a wager that consists of three selections, which form four total bets: One treble and three doubles. Unlike a treble, you only need two of the three selections to win to see a return. Each bet within a Trixie - and all system bets - is treated separately and therefore incurs its own cost. For example, a £1 Trixie would cost you £4, which is £1 for each bet. A Lucky 15 consists of four selections, which form a total of 15 bets: A four-fold accumulator, four trebles, six doubles and four singles. The more picks you get right, the more money you win. A £1 Lucky 15 would require a £15 stake. A Yankee is similar to a Lucky 15, but doesn't include the four singles. This means it consists of 11 total bets: A four-fold accumulator, four trebles and six doubles. In a Yankee, you only need two selections to win in order to see a payout. A £1 Yankee would require a £11 stake in total.

Which jockeys have the best Cheltenham record?

The most successful jockey is Cheltenham Festival history is Ruby Walsh, who rode a total of 59 winners before retiring in 2019. Behind him are Barry Geraghty on 43 and Sir AP McCoy on 31.

The most successful current jockey is Davy Russell on 25, four of which came in 2018 as he won the leading rider award.

Paul Townend has been crowned top jockey in two of the last three years, while Rachael Blackmore made history in 2021 by becoming the first female jockey to finish top of the standings after riding six winners - one off Ruby Walsh's record of seven.

Nico de Boinville (2019) is the only other person to have won top jockey since 2008.

What is the Cheltenham Festival Dress code?

While there’s no official Cheltenham Festival dress code, those in attendance enjoy dressing for the occasion. Men tend to opt for a smart, country gentleman look, featuring tweed jackets, formal overcoats and flat caps, with women sporting, dresses, overcoats and hats.

Fancy dress is not against the rules, though if it is deemed offensive you will not be let in.

Given the time of year and terrain, the most important thing is to make sure you are warm and wearing comfy shoes.

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