Cheltenham Festival 2023 Betting & Odds

Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the National Hunt horse racing season, bringing together the very best horses from both the UK and Ireland to compete for the sport's most prestigious prizes.

Dubbed 'the greatest show on turf', the Cheltenham betting meeting comprises a total of 28 races over four days, including 14 Grade 1 contests, with a total prize pool of over £6m.

Over 250,000 people attend the event in person, helping to create the famous Cheltenham roar. Millions more watch on television, with anywhere between £500m and £1bn staked on Cheltenham Festival odds across the four days as bettors make the most of Cheltenham betting offers etc.

Cheltenham specials 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.

When is the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

The 2023 Cheltenham Festival will take place over four days in March, beginning on Tuesday 14th March and culminating on Friday 17th March, which is also St Patrick's Day.

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

What are the main races at the Cheltenham Festival?

Each day of the Cheltenham Festival boasts a Grade 1 feature race that is scheduled for 15:30 on the racecard.

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 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

The Cheltenham Festival will soon be upon us with racing fans everywhere looking forward to what is seen as the sports version of the Olympic Games - The Greatest Show On Turf !

You can bet on all 28 races at Cheltenham right here on the Betway Sportsbook.

Victory at this above all other National Hunt meetings is career defining for horses, trainers, and jockeys as the best in the sport from both sides of the Irish Sea (and France) compete for the major prizes over the iconic Prestbury Park course.

All of our favourites are back for more in 2023 with many of them defending previously won championships and their chances as well as those of the other pretenders are reflected in Betway's current Ante Post markets where the Non-Runner No Bet concession is available as indicated.

In the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, Energumene and Edwardstone are vying for favouritism. Can Energumene retain his crown, or will last year's Arkle winner Edwardstone win Wednesday's Grade 1 feature?

The odds-on favourite in the Champion Hurdle betting is Constitution Hill, who has four wins from four races and is trained by the Berkshire-based Nicky Henderson.

In the Stayers' Hurdle betting, back-to-back champion Flooring Porter is returning to attempt the three-peat, although the odds would suggest it will be a sterner test this time around. Blazing Khal and Teahupoo currently head the betting.

How to bet on the 2023 Cheltenham festival

Win & Each Way

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cheltenham Festival Dress code

There is no official dress code for Cheltenham Festival, though many attendees like to get dressed up. Tweed jackets and flat caps are popular among men, while lots of women choose to wear dresses 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.