Cheltenham Festival Betting

Cheltenham Festival 2026 betting and 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 download our app from the Play Store or the App Store for the latest Cheltenham betting offers and odds information.

Cheltenham Festival Day 4 Schedule

Attention turns to the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival, which includes the week’s main event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Here is the full schedule of races for Day 4 at the Cheltenham Festival 2026. 

• 13:20 – Triumph Hurdle
• 14:00 – County Handicap Hurdle
• 14:40 – Mares’ Chase
• 15:20 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
• 16:00 – Cheltenham Gold Cup
• 16:40 – Princess Royal Challenge Cup
• 17:20 – Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle

Cheltenham Festival Day 4 Tips

Keep an eye on the Betway Insider throughout the Festival for Cheltenham tips from our horse racing experts, including ITV Racing commentator Richard Hoiles. From each-way tips to Lucky 15s and best bets for the feature races, we’ve got you covered.

Richard Hoiles’ Cheltenham Friday Tips

Triumph Hurdle (13:20): PROACTIF

Having been confident from an early stage that Narciso Has would be the answer to the Triumph, the news of his setback did not go down well. It also leaves the race with a very open look, with Willie Mullins now robbed of his standout horse and seemingly unleashing en masse his remaining hopes – most of whom have had one run in France and one in Ireland. Sorting them out looks quite problematic, but preference is just for PROACTIF, who won at Auteuil in September and then beat Macho Man at Fairyhouse. Crucially, he looked to know his job well, whereas Selma De Vary appeared very keen and may need to be dropped out to get up the hill. 

Gold Cup (16:00): JUKEBOX MAN or SPILLANE’S TOWER

The two that make most appeal are THE JUKEBOX MAN and, at a bigger price, SPILLANE’S TOWER. The Jukebox Man was just touched off in the Albert Bartlett but deserved extra credit for pulling the King George out of the fire, having looked likely to finish no closer than third on landing after the last. Spillane’s Tower had his season disrupted last year through other JP McManus runners taking preference or the ground drying up. If the forecast Thursday rain arrives, conditions should be ideal. He should not be underestimated having won a falsely‑run Cotswold Chase quite snugly.

How to bet on the 2026 Cheltenham festival

You can be on Cheltenham Festival odds by visiting our horse racing sportsbook, where you can explore the latest markets:

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.

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.

Who are the favourites at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?

As soon as one Cheltenham Festival ends, speculation begins on which champions will defend their crowns the next year. You can find the 2026 Cheltenham Festival favourites for every race at the Betway sportsbook.

Inothewayurthinkin won the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup and is again the favourite to win the biggest race of the Festival this year, while Galopin Des Champs, second in the betting, will be hoping to regain the title after successive wins in 2023 and 2024. The Jukebox Man,Gaelic Warrior, and Jango Baieare among the contenders hoping to also claim one of jump racing’s biggest prizes.

Meanwhile, Sir Gino, Lossiemouth, and The New Lionlead the odds for the Champion Hurdle, with the former also a contender in the Champion Chase. However, Il Etait Temps and Marine Nationale are the favourites, here.

To check out who the other current Cheltenham Festival 2026 favourites are, head to our ante-post page, where the Non-Runner No Bet concession is available as indicated.

The latest Cheltenham Festival news

Discover the latest Cheltenham news and insights to help inform your Festival bets, including:

• How to bet on the Cheltenham Festival
• How to bet on the Cheltenham Gold Cup
• The complete guide to Cheltenham Festival

What are the main races at the Cheltenham Festival?

These are the feature races on each day of the Cheltenham Festival:

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 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.