What Is Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most highly anticipated events in the horse racing calendar in the United Kingdom. This four-day meeting, held annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, features some of the most prestigious races in the National Hunt racing calendar, with prize money second only to the Grand National. The festival is linked to betting, featuring significant Cheltenham bonuses and bets.
From 14 March to 17 March 2023, the Cheltenham Festival will showcase 14 Grade One races across four-day racing event. The festival will see the best horses, trainers, and jockeys from around the world compete head-to-head in hopes of securing a win and cementing their place in history. Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, the racecourse offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.
The festival is noted for its incredible atmosphere, with the sound of the ‘Cheltenham roar‘ as the starter raises the tape for the first race of the festival being one of its most iconic features. The roar is the enormous amount of noise generated by the crowd. It’s a testament to the festival’s passion and excitement.
The Cheltenham horse racing is particularly popular with Irish visitors and coincides with Saint Patrick’s Day. The meeting features several Grade I races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Stayers’ Hurdle. These races are considered to be some of the most prestigious and challenging in the sport of horse racing.
Brief History
The Cheltenham Festival has a long and storied history, dating back to the early 19th century. The first organized flat race meeting in Cheltenham was held on Nottingham Hill in 1815, and the first competitions were held on Cleeve Hill in August 1818. However, it wasn’t until three years later, in 1821, that another meeting was staged, this time on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the current Cheltenham Racecourse site.
The Cleeve Hill meeting was a success, as the following year saw the construction of a grandstand on the side of the hill. In addition, a proper course was laid on the West Down of the hill, and for 1819, the meeting was increased to three days.
Over the next decade, the races on Cleeve Hill soared in popularity, with crowds of up to 50,000 attendees. However, the races began to attract some unwelcome folk, such as pickpockets, drunkards, and card sharps, which led to opposition from the Anglican Rector of Cheltenham, Reverend Francis Close, who preached about the evils of horse racing and gambling. The race meeting in 1830 was disrupted, and the racecourse was moved to Prestbury Park in 1831 to overcome this violent opposition.
Prestbury Park held its first National Hunt Festival on 9 April and 10 April 1902. The Cheltenham Festival was originally the National Hunt Meeting, which staged the National Hunt Chase, the four-miler for amateur riders. It was first held in Prestbury Park in 1904 and 1905 before settling there permanently in 1911.
The festival has since become one of the most important and prestigious events in the horse racing calendar, attracting some of the best horses, trainers, and jockeys worldwide. As a result, Cheltenham races today are considered the most visited in the UK.
Alongside Wimbledon, the British Open, and the FA Cup Final, it is primarily acknowledged as one of the UK’s top sports events.
Cheltenham Free Bets
If you’re a bettor looking to take advantage of the Cheltenham Festival free bets, there are several steps to follow. You must consider a trusted bookmakers’ bonus to claim your Cheltenham Free Bet.
After the deposit, you must place a qualifying bet to earn your bonus. Once your qualifying bet has been settled, the free bets will be credited to your account. You can maximize the number of free bets to increase your chances of winning big at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
Some significant offers for existing customers are:
QuinnBet
The QuinnBet offers ‘Faller Insurance’. If your selection loses, you’ll receive a free bet bonus of up to £10 in place of your losing wager.
Coral
Your stakes will be returned as a free bets if your horse fails to finish in all important Cheltenham races, including when it falls, is knocked down, the rider is removed from the saddle, pulls up, or quits. In addition, the Coral offers a £10 free bets per race.
Fitzdares
If your horse finishes second to a winner at odds of 20/1 or more, you will receive money back as a £10 free bet.
Bettor Offers: Top 10 bookies for Horse Racing with Best Bonuses
The top Cheltenham free bets will be reviewed on this page, and the other offers new bettors may expect to see during the National Hunt events.
We will choose the best Cheltenham betting offers and explain how to claim the bonuses.
We will choose the best Cheltenham betting offers and explain how to claim the bonuses.
1. Bet365 is one of the best bookmakers for sports betting, when it comes to Cheltenham Festival promotions, . The Bet365 heltenham Offer for the 2023 races is a £50 Free Bet when you sign up and bet a minimum of £10.
2. Betfred‘s promotion offers the chance for new players to win £30 in free bets for the opening of the Cheltenham Festival. With their other bonus, new members can deposit and wager £50 and receive up to £100 in free bet for betting.
3. Unibet will give you a money-back bonus of up to £40, if your first racing wager as a new customer is unsuccessful.
Bonus offer:
£40 if your first bet loses+ £10 Casino bonus
4. Betway‘s Cheltenham free bet offer is straightforward—create a new account with Betway, and you can get a £10 free bet.
5. Betfair‘s sign-up offer is accommodating—a £30 in Free Bets when you place a £10 bet on sportsbook.
6. 10Bet Sportsbook offers the opportunity to get a 50% up to £50 welcome bonus. You can apply the bonus to expand your winnings.
Bonus offer:
50% Matched Bonus Up To €50
7. QuinnBet‘s sign-up offer is very generous—get 50% back as a free bet up to £35, plus 10 free spins.
8. NetBet‘s free bet offer is straightforward for new customers—deposit and bet £10, and you’ll receive £10 in free bets. You can apply the bonus to boost your winnings.
9. William Hill is one of the UK’s oldest and most respected bookmakers. Its offer for the Cheltenham festival for new customers is to bet £10, and you’ll receive £30 in free bets.
Bonus offer:
Bet $20 Get $20 in free bets
10. Ladbrokes is a well-established bookmaker that offers £20 in free bets for placing at least £5 bet for new customers. You can apply the bonus to increase your winning potential.
11. Parimatch‘s Cheltenham free bet offer for new players is very generous—bet £10, and you’ll receive £35 in bonuses.
Cheltenham Enhanced Offers
The bookmakers’ enhanced offers are among the most exciting things about the Cheltenham Festival. These offers boost the price of a particular horse, usually the favorite, to give new customers higher returns if their selected horse wins the race.
Some Championship races at Cheltenham that typically receive enhanced offers include the Champion Hurdle, Ballymore Novices Hurdle, Champion Chase, Cross Country Chase, Turners Novices Chase, and Ryanair Chase.
Many bookmakers offer enhanced odds on specific horses at Cheltenham Festival, particularly the Championship races. By looking for the best deals and selecting suitable horses to bet on, you can increase your chances of success and make the most of your Cheltenham betting experience.
Is Best Odds Guaranteed Available for Cheltenham?
As the Cheltenham races 2023 approach, many bettors wonder whether best odds guaranteed (BOG) will be available. BOG is a popular promotion many bookmakers offer, ensuring that if a horse’s starting price (SP) exceeds the price you took when placing your bet, you’ll receive higher odds.
Following Cheltenham tipsters, the bookmakers that offer BOG are:
- Choose a price on your selection, and if the SP is higher, Bet365 will compensate you at the higher odds. You can apply the bonus to all races at the festival.
- Best odds guaranteed is available at Ladbrokes for betting on all UK and Irish racing.
- Coral also offers higher odds for all Irish and UK races for a particular day.
- BetVictor is another bookmaker that offers this exciting proposition. You can apply the bonus to maximize your winning potential.
The Last 10 Cheltenham Winners
The festival has had some fantastic moments over the past ten years, including outstanding winners and performances that will always be remembered. The latest winners in Cheltenham are:
- A.P. McCoy rode Synchronised to victory in the 2012 Gold Cup, one of the most incredible rides in Cheltenham history. The same year, British-trained horses dominated the festival, winning every race they entered, including Cinders and Ashes, Big Bucks, Finian’s Rainbow, and Riverside Theatre.
- In 2013, Hurricane Fly regained his crown in the Champion Hurdle, while Sprinter Sacre had a stunning performance in the Champion Chase. Bobs Worth won the Gold Cup with incredible perseverance, while Solwhit and Cue Card triumphed in the Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase.
- Lord Windermere won the 2014 Gold Cup, and Sire de Grugy gave the Moore family much to be happy about in the Champion Chase. The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Champion Hurdle were won by Vautour and Jezki, while More Of That triumphed in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
- In 2015, Douvan and Faugheen had standout wins in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Champion Hurdle, while Coneygree won the Gold Cup for Mark Bradstock. Other notable winners included Dodging Bullets, Uxizandre, and Cole Harden.
- The 2016 Gold Cup saw Don Cossack perform outstandingly, while Altior and Sprinter Sacre won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Champion Chase. Annie Power became the first mare to win the Champion Hurdle since 1994, while Vautour and Thistlecrack won the Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle.
- In 2017, Sizing John won a relatively weak renewal of the Gold Cup, while Labaik, Buveur d’Air, and Special Tiara won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Champion Hurdle, and Champion Chase. Nichols Canyon won the Stayers’ Hurdle, while Un de Sceaux won the Ryanair Chase.
- The 2018 Gold Cup was won by Native River, while Buveur d’Air won the Champion Hurdle for the second year in a row. Altior won the Champion Chase, Penhill and Balko des Flos won the Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase.
- In 2019, Al Boum Photo won the Gold Cup, while Klassical Dream, Duc des Genievres, and Paisley Park won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Arkle, and Stayers’ Hurdle. The Champion Hurdle was won by Epatante, while Bryony Frost made history by becoming the first woman to win a Grade 1 event over hurdles or fences at the Festival.
- The 2020 Festival saw Al Boum Photo become the first horse to win successive Gold Cups since Best Mate nearly 20 years earlier. Shishkin, Epatante, and Paisley Park were among the other notable winners.
- In 2021, the Cheltenham Festival saw a historic moment as trainer Henry de Bromhead became the first trainer to win the three big Cheltenham Festival races—Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore also made history by riding six winners during the week, including a victory in the Gold Cup aboard Minella Indo, trained by de Bromhead.
- The following year, the 2022 Champion Hurdle saw the star mare Honeysuckle retain her title and extend her unbeaten record to 15. In the Cheltenham Gold Cup, A Plus Tard, also trained by de Bromhead, won emphatically by 15 lengths. Allaho also retained his position as one of the best jumpers in training with an impressive 14-length victory in the Ryanair Chase.
The Cheltenham festival tickets are sold out, but the hospitality options are still available.
FAQ
What are the four big races at Cheltenham?
The four big races at Cheltenham are the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Stayers’ Hurdle. These races are considered the most prestigious and influential races of the festival.
What date is Cheltenham 2023?
Cheltenham Festival will be held from 14 March to 17 March 2023.
Is there a dress code at Cheltenham Festival?
Yes, it’s smart-casual for the day. For the Club Enclosure, the dress code is more formal. It’s recommended to dress smart, which includes a collared shirt and trousers or tailored shorts and dresses or skirts of an appropriate length. Sportswear and ripped jeans are not permitted in any enclosure.
How many places are paid out at Cheltenham?
The number of places paid out at Cheltenham can vary depending on the specific race and the number of horses running. However, in addition to the payout, customers can expect significant Cheltenham bonuses. Generally, the standard place terms for races at Cheltenham are three places in races of 8+ runners or four places in handicap races of 16 or more contenders.
What is the prize money for Cheltenham Festival 2023?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the biggest non-handicap chase staged in Britain, with a prize pool of a massive £625,000.
