Cheltenham Festival Free Bets & Opening Account Offers 2026

These are the sign-up offers that are provided for day to day betting throughout the majority of the year, but are amended around once a year for a one-week period around the Cheltenham Festival.

The Festival is the biggest, brashest and most eagerly anticipated event in the horse racing calendar. Held over four days from Tuesday to Friday in mid-March the meeting is what all top trainers, horses and jockeys gear their seasonal campaigns towards. The biggest prizes, both in monetary and prestige terms, are on offer at The Festival making it the meeting where all racing connections want to have a winner. The 2026 Cheltenham Festival takes place between March 10th and 13th.

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We provide you with a comprehensive guide on all things Cheltenham related including our betting stories and stats at the festival from yesteryear.

Tips for Betting at the Cheltenham Festival

Being the jewel in the crown of National Hunt racing, many people watch Cheltenham who don't normally watch or bet on horse racing, because the event is so big. The Festival pulls people together, with those that bet on horse racing every single do and those that bet on racing once or twice per year coming together to enjoy the action on the track. If you don't bet on horse racing too often then you probably look for tips to help you be a better gambler at Cheltenham, because we all want to make money whenever we place bets. The good news for those punters is that the formlines we have at Cheltenham are pretty simple and easy to follow. We have a number of key races that are worth looking at and you will often find that horses take each other on here, before meeting again at The Festival. The hard part is working out whether the form will be upheld by the winners, or whether those who lost can gain revenge on the biggest stage of all. 

Those looking at the Cheltenham Gold Cup should look back at races such as the Betfair Chase and King George in the UK as well as the Lexus Chase in Ireland as many Gold Cup contenders will run in these races before heading to the big one, so you can see who came out on top and who was unlucky on the day before placing your bets. Throughout the season we will have many other races which act as stepping stones to the big Festival races, and these should always be your first port of call when it comes to studying the form ahead of Cheltenham, and they make life easier for those who don't have time to study everything. 

Cheltenham Course Form

Cheltenham is a very unique course, and that is without also factoring in the atmosphere and big crowd that The Festival brings. Course form, and more importantly Festival form is huge and should not be underestimated at any costs. The Cheltenham course itself is a stiff test, with a long uphill finish for horses to tackle at the end of the race when they are beginning to tire. This means that the horse really needs to stay the distance, any question marks over that and the Cheltenham Hill will find them out. However, there is another ingredient that makes this course special and unique and that is the tightness of it. This is something that you don't always see on TV, but walking the course shows it to be a tight track which requires tactical speed to ensure you hold your position and don't lose out at what could be a vital time in the race. 

Horses that have ran and won at the course before show that they can handle the turns that this track offers. If you have a horse that has also won over the distance before then on top of that you know the horse will stay the trip, and you don't have to worry when the horses reach the uphill finish. This comes into play over the longer distance races, with the Gold Cup being a prime example. This race is ran over 3m2.5f, and being over a stiff track with an uphill finish then this is certainly a tough test. Many of the big races that come ahead of the Gold Cup are over 3m, and while the additional two and a half furlongs may not seem much, over a track like Cheltenham it certainly is. We have seen many horses run well over three miles before heading to the Cheltenham Gold Cup and then not getting home over the distance, so look out for those and try to avoid them when making your picks. 

Cheltenham Handicaps

The feature races at the Cheltenham Festival are the graded races, but there are also many handicaps which take place across the four days. These cover a variety of things, from short hurdle races to long distance chase races, so there is something for everyone. These are traditionally seen as some of the most competitive handicaps that we see all season, and are often a mine field for punters to solve. We usually see a combination of young up and coming horses that are making their mark and trying to show they are well handicapped taking on older horses who have been there and done it all before, and may even have a Cheltenham Festival win to their name. These bring a great puzzle for punters, and while the task is very difficult, it is for this reason that many people see these races as the best and most fun to bet on, because there is a great sense of pride when one is solved.

The rules above are important to remember, so when looking at these try and pick out horses that have ran at Cheltenham before, and ones that look sure to get the distance. However, there is something else to look at when it comes to the handicaps because of how they are made up. These races have a huge number of entries, so are always run with the maximum field number taking part. The Festival atmosphere, 20+ runners and the tight turns of the Cheltenham racecourse is enough to trouble any horse, let alone one that is having their first experience of this, and this can often go against the younger horses in handicap fields, even if they do look to be well handicapped ahead of the race when you are studying the form.

Each Way Betting at Cheltenham

Field sizes across The Festival are big, which plays perfectly into the hands of those punters who like to place an each way bet. Whether it is a handicap or a graded race, owners and trainers want to run at the Cheltenham Festival, so they aim there horses there. You will rarely see a field at the festival that is in single figures, and when it comes to handicaps, you will often see 20+ runners going to post, which means standard each way terms that make bookmakers pay out on the first four places in those races.

With the festival being such a draw, betting offers are available and many of these are built around each way betting. This could be enhanced place terms, enhanced places paid out or both, but generally speaking there are many each way betting offers for the Cheltenham Festival that punters can take advantage of. The most common of these is to offer enhanced places on handicaps, so look out for bookmakers paying out on five, six and sometimes even seven places in the big handicaps. When it comes to graded races you will usually see an increase in the terms. Rules state that these races must be paid out at 1/5 odds as they are non-handicaps although many bookmakers will offer 1/4 odds on these races to make them more appealing from an each way point of view. 

The very best each way betting offers will combine these, so you will see an increase in both place terms and places paid for the big races of the week if there are enough runners for the bookmakers to do this. With these offers, it is best to shop around, but it is worth it because if you place a bet with the right bookmaker it could be classed as a winner, whereas others would call it a loser due to their lesser terms.

Cheltenham Festival 2026

The Cheltenham is one of the major events in National Hunt racing. It takes place in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in the UK. There are 28 races in all over the four days, 14 of which are Grade 1.

During the Festival, runners from both Ireland and Britain compete, and if we compare last year's event, Ireland has been the best. The Irish trainers were in first place in the 2025 Prestbury Cup standings with 20 wins, while the British trainers had only eight wins.

Now in 2026, the 4-day Festival will kick off starting on Tuesday, 10 March, and it will end on Friday, 13 March. There have been new changes, therefore making the races a bit more competitive, and also, the most exciting part is that there will be 66,000 people in attendance on a day. For Ireland and the UK, there will be an opportunity to send more runners in the field.

Cheltenham Festival Races

When the event opens, 13 Grade One races will be selected to form part of it. During the week, these are the four Championship races that will happen:

• Cheltenham Gold Cup
• Champion Hurdle
• Champion Chase
• Stayers’ Hurdle

Day 1: Tuesday, 10th March 2026

This will be the first day of the Festival, which is commonly known as Champion's Day. The Champion Hurdle will be the main event that day, but there will also be three additional Grade Ones:

Day 2: Wednesday, 11th March 2026

The second day hosts an event called Ladies' Day, a style Wednesday which boasts four Grade One races:

• Turners Novices' Hurdle
• Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
• Queen Mother Champion Chase
• Champion Bumper

Two of the handicaps on the Wednesday schedule are The Coral Cup and the Grand Annual. Below are the race times for Day 2:

Day 3: Thursday, 12th March 2026

On the third day, it's known as St. Patrick’s Thursday, and bettors will be betting on 1 feature race in a row:

• Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
• Ryanair Chase

Lossiemouth is the clear favourite for the jump, while Teahupoo and Ballyburn are the clear favourites for the run. Check the breakdown below:

Day 4: Friday, 13th March 2026

This is known as Gold Cup Day, and it’s the most loved moment in all of the Cheltenham Festival. Can Galopin Des Champs win again after coming in second place behind this year's favourite? How are you thinking?

Course and Conditions at Cheltenham Event

The Cheltenham track goes to the left. Both the Old and New Courses at Cheltenham have hills and valleys, and both have obstacles that test speed and endurance. People think that the Old Course is better for horses that can go around the corners since it features tighter turns and an uphill finish. The New Course is used later in the week and is usually considered to be better suited to horses with a good deal of stamina for a distance.

Held in March, the ground can vary from year to year, with official descriptions ranging from Good to Soft or Soft, depending on rainfall during winter and early spring. When it rains, the turf gets softer and tougher to run on. When it doesn't rain, the turf gets harder and quicker.

Key Prediction Things to Check

Betting fans of horse racing are already looking forward to the Cheltenham Festival 2026, which will last four days. They are excited to see their favourite horses, trainers, and riders compete. People may bet on Cheltenham 2026 right now. Check out the latest Cheltenham offers and Cheltenham free bets. If you understand how previous festivals worked, what trainers want to do and how horses campaigned, then you can read the race.

Leading Trainers

Jockeys to Watch

Top Horses to Watch

Cheltenham Festival Ante-Post Betting Tips

Ante-post betting is available for many races at the Cheltenham Festival 2026. It allows punters to bet on horses at good odds before the festival starts, with markets often available several weeks or months in advance. They tend to be bigger than the day of the race due to uncertainty about horse fitness or ground conditions, with horses dropping out of the race. Closing a bet this early can be problematic, but bookies sometimes offer Cheltenham free bets or Non Runner No Bet specials as insurance.

What Is Ante-Post Betting

Personnel put ante-post bets before the final fields. If the horse you choose doesn't run, you usually lose your bet unless the bookmaker offers Non Runner No Bet. The idea is that you can lock in better odds before the market changes closer to race day.

Advantages of Ante-Post Betting

Backed early, mainly if focused on novices, those with Cheltenham form, trainer targets and patterns at the festival when particular horses are more likely to shorten in price, can be profitable.

Bookmaker Promotions During Cheltenham

As the 2026 Cheltenham Festival approaches, big bookmakers have put out a lot of Cheltenham free bets, betting offers, and Cheltenham bookmaker sign-up bonuses for new customers. These usually include Cheltenham betting offers along with minimum odds and qualifying stakes, and they may be utilised on any horse racing markets throughout the festival.

Types of Free Bet Offers at Cheltenham Festival

Not all Cheltenham 2026 free bets are the same, and knowing the types of these deals is the first step to getting the most from your betting. Several Cheltenham betting promotions are available from sportsbooks during the course of the annual Festival, and these differ in terms of the T&Cs, best suited for, and value for new and existing sports bettors.

Welcome or Sign-Up Offers

These are the most usual Cheltenham bookmaker sign-up offers where you may get free bets multiple times the price of a tiny qualifying stake, like £10. They are perfect for new accounts that want to get the most out of their initial bet. Most of the time, the minimum odds are 1/2 (1.5), and the free bets are only good for 7 to 30 days. For example, Betfair gives you £50 in free bets when you bet £10.

Deposit Match Bonuses

A deposit match adds funds to a new user's account, commonly between 25% and 100% of the original deposit. They increase the amount of cash available for several Festival bets. A minimum deposit of £10 and the requirement to bet the bonus numerous times before withdrawing are standard requirements. For example, 10bet gives you 100% of your initial investment up to £50.

Risk-Free or Money-Back Specials

These deals give back lost qualifying bets, either in cash or free bets, which protects bets on favourites with enormous stakes. Most of the time, restrictions are between £10 and £20. For example, Sky Bet will give you your money back in cash on the first Cheltenham race (this offer may change).

Enhanced-Odds Promotions

Enhanced odds raise the potential rewards on some races. Most of the time, winnings are given as free bets with a maximum stake limit (for example, £1). For instance, Paddy Power gives you 50/1 odds that Constitution Hill will win the Champion Hurdle.

Extra Places & Each-Way Boosts

These pay out on more finishing positions than generally, which means bigger profits on races with a lot of entries. For example, Sky Bet has seven spots instead of four on the Handicap Chase.

NRNB & Best Odds Guaranteed

If a horse doesn't race, Non Runner No Bet will give you back your money, which is helpful for ante-post bets. If the SP is higher than the taken price, BOG pays the higher odds. For example, Ladbrokes offers Non Runner No Bet on Championship races, and bet365 offers BOG starting from 8 a.m. on race day.

Existing Customer Promotions

Bookmakers provide loyal customers with free bets, better odds, or bonuses that are only available during specific festivals. You often have to opt in. These Cheltenham betting offers are always suitable for those who come back.

How Cheltenham Free Bets Work

When you join up and place your first wager, free bet offers provide you with extra betting credit or payouts from the bookmaker. They can help you build up your Cheltenham bankroll, but there are certain mandatory restrictions about minimum odds, expiration, and how stakes are handled.

How to Use a Cheltenham Free Bet?

1. Register: Make an account with your details, then verify with a bookmaker. Pay attention to any key qualifying requirements, such as country limits or promo codes.
2. Place a Bet: Stake the required wager at the suitable minimum odds and in the right markets.
3. Bet Settlement: Once the qualifying bet is fixed with respect to the bookie's regulations, the operator gives the free bet or bonus.
4. Free Bet Earning: You can get free bets as one big wager or a series of smaller bets. Find out if the bonus is given as free bet tokens, site credit, or cash, and if it has to be utilised on specific markets.
5. Check free Bets valid period: Put your free bet on the Cheltenham races of your choice over the time frame given (7–30 days). To get the most out of your bet, make sure to follow any maximum stake limitations and odds constraints.
6. Withdraw or Re-Bet Winnings: Most of the time, free bets pay out the wins, not the stake. Plan your bets such that you get the most money back while still following the rules.

How to Use Your Free Bet at Cheltenham

Once you have your Cheltenham 2026 free bets, you may use them wisely all over the four-day Festival to get the most out of them. Using Cheltenham betting offers and market possibilities wisely with free bet credits makes them last longer.

Back Favourites in Key Races

Some of your free bets may be worth using on the biggest races of the week, such as the Champion Hurdle, the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Queen Mother Champion Chase. A good number of bookmakers will offer free bets for Cheltenham, which is a good opportunity for the qualified bettor to win big. Find out what the minimum odds are before you get started with placing a stake.

Each-Way in Big-Field Handicaps

Other popular races for each-way betting are the Coral Cup and County Hurdle, and Extra Places at bookmakers and other offers increase the chances of making a profit. Sometimes free bets are also paid if none of the horses finish in the first three on the race card.

Spread Bets Across the Festival

To balance backing short-priced favourites and longer chances, give out free bets over a few days. This method uses Cheltenham bookmaker sign-up offers without using up credits too soon.

Use NRNB & Combine Promotions

If a horse doesn't run, Non Runner No Bet protects your stake, which is excellent for early ante-post wagers. Adding Best Odds Guaranteed or price improvement to free bets can make your potential profits even higher.

Changes to the Race Programme for 2026

The Jockey Club have said that there is a little bit of re-scheduling of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, with the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle (a Grade 1 race for mares) being moved from the Old Course to the New Course and from Day 1 (Tuesday) to Day 3 (Thursday) of the Festival.

The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (2m 4f) is now also run on Day 1, alongside the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

In particular, the Ryanair Chase and the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle have been moved forward on Day 3 with the Stayers' Hurdle scheduled for around 40 minutes earlier at 3.20 pm and the Ryanair Chase at 4 pm.

These tweaks impact how races appear and how others put bets before the event. They also offer anybody who wishes to wager on particular races or change their early Festival bets an opportunity to do so with Cheltenham 2026 free bets.

FAQs About Cheltenham

When is the Cheltenham Festival 2026?

The Cheltenham is a Horse racing festival which is held every March and will start on March 10 to March 13, 2026.

What’s the dress code at Cheltenham Festival?

As the Cheltenham Festival can take place in all sorts of conditions, the course recommends racegoers dress for the weather. However, many ladies will wear hats, and gentlemen are advised to wear suits or dress up if they are in hospitality or the Club enclosure.

Does the Cheltenham Festival ever sell out?

Not all of the festival sells out. Last year, 218,839 people came during the course of four days. But Gold Cup day (the Friday of the meeting) does frequently sell out.

How Do I Get to the Cheltenham Festival?

There are several ways for racegoers to go to the Cheltenham Festival in 2026. You may arrange parking in advance for £15 at Cheltenham Racecourse, which makes it easy to get there by vehicle. National Express runs coach services from all around the UK straight to the racetrack. If they have permission ahead of time, those flying in can land at the racetrack. Another alternative is to take the train to Cheltenham Spa station, which is close by. Taxis are available for the short ride to the course. No matter how long you stay at the Festival, each method of transport makes it easy to get there.

Who won the Gold Cup?

Gavin Cromwell and Mark Walsh won the Gold Cup for the first time in 2025 with Inothewayurthinkin, beating Galopin Des Champs.

What happens if a race is cancelled due to weather?

If the weather is bad, the people in charge of the race will let you know what will happen next, which might include moving the event to a different date.

Cheltenham 2022 Winners

Tuesday March 15

1.30 Supreme Novices' Hurdle - Constitution Hill 9/4 JF - Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville

2.10 Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeplechase - Edwardstone - 5/2F - Trained by Alan King and ridden by Tom Cannon

2.50 Ultima Handicap Chase - Corach Rambler - 10/1 - Trained by Lucinda Russell, ridden by Derek Fox

3.30 Unibet Champion Hurdle - Honeysuckle - 8/11F - Trained by Henry de Bromhead, ridden by Rachael Blackmore

4.10 Mares' Hurdle - Marie's Rock 18/1 - Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville

4.50 Boodles Novices' Handicap Chase - Brazil 10/1 - Trained by Padraig Roche, ridden by Mark Walsh

5.30 National Hunt Chase - Statler 2/1 - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Mr P W Mullins

 

Wednesday March 16

1.30 Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle - Sir Gerhard 8/11F - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Paul Townend

2.10 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase - L'Homme Presse 9/4F - Trained by Venetia Williams, ridden by Paul Deutsch

2.50 Coral Cup - Commander of Fleet 50/1 - Trained by Gordon Elliott, ridden by Shane Fitzgerald.

3.30 Champion Chase - Energumene 5/2 - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Paul Townend

4.10 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase - Delta Work 5/2F - Trained by Gordon Elliot, ridden by Jack Kennedy

4.50 The Grand Annual Challenge Cup Chase - Global Citizen - 28/1 - Trained by Ben Pauling and ridden by Kielan Woods

5.30 Weatherby's Champion Bumper - Facile Vega - 15/8F - Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Mr P W Mullins

 

Thursday March 17

1.30  Golden Miller Novices' Chase  - Bob Olinger 6/5 - Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Rachael Blackmore.

2.10 - Pertemps Novices' Final - Third Wind 25/1 - Trained by Hughie Morrison and ridden by Tom O'Brien

2.50 - Ryanair Steeplechase - Allaho 4/7F - Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend

3.30 - Stayers' Hurdle - Flooring Porter 4/1 - Trained by Gavin Cromwell and ridden by D.E.Mullins

4.10 - Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase - Coole Cody 22/1 - Trained by Evan Williams and ridden by Adam Wedge

4.50 - Mares' Novices Hurdle - Love Envoi - 15/2 - Trained by Harry Fry, ridden by Jonathan Burke

5.30  Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeplechase - Chambon - 40/1-  Trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Miss Lucy Turner

 

Friday March 18

1.30 - JCB Triumph Hurdle - Vauban - 6/4F - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Paul Townend

2.10 - The Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle - State Man - 11/4F - Trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend.

2.50   The Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - Mr Nice Guy - 18/1 - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Sean O'Keefe

3.30   The Cheltenham Gold Cup - A Plus Tard - 3/1F - Trained by Henry de Bromhead, ridden by Rachael Blackmore

4.10   The Foxhunters' Chase - Billaway -13/F - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Mr P W Mullins

4.50   The Liberthine Mares' Chase - Elimay - 9/4 - Trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Mark Walsh

5.30   The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey's Handicap Hurdle - Banbridge 9/4 - Trained by J P O'Brien, ridden by M M McDonagh

Cheltenham Betting Stories and Stats

Gambling Tales That Stand Out

Annie Power 2015

When Annie Power was approaching the last with Mares’ Hurdle won bookmakers were facing an estimated £40 million payout on the Willie Mullins four timer. On the first day of last year’s festival Douvan, Un De Sceaux and Faugheen had won for the trainer so all the running up money was on Annie Power. The horse had done everything right up to approaching the final hurdle but misjudged the obstacle and fell ruining a multitude of accas. The nightmare scenario for the bookmakers was averted by a horse that was trading at 1.03 in running but found a way to lose the race.

Beech Road and Waterloo Boy 1989

A friend who lived in Beech Road in Waterloo just north of Liverpool had the bet of a lifetime on the Tuesday of Cheltenham in 1989. A small punter he had a £2 double on Beech Road in the Champions Hurdle and Waterloo Boy in the Arkle. This was a massive case of placing a bet based on the names of the horses with no form logic. Both outsiders duly obliged and the double paid 1070/1 for a return of £2140 for a couple of quid but he didn’t mention the winning bet to his wife.

Norton’s Coin 1990

Norton’s Coin is the biggest priced winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and only the second winner trained in Wales. Sent off at 100/1 his trainer Sirrel Griffiths thought that was an outrageous price. The horse had some form in the book that suggested winning the Gold Cup was not a forlorn hope but very few punters backed him at Cheltenham or in the betting offices. Norton’s Coin beat Toby Tobias by three quarters of a length with the 10/11 favourite Desert Orchid 4 lengths further back in third place.

Michael Dickenson’s First Five 1983

Michael Dickenson was a bit of a fruit cake but he knew how to train steeple chasers. He eventually moved to the United States to train Flat horses and invented an artificial racing surface. However, he will always be remembered for training the horses that finished in the first five in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Dickenson had won the race in 1982 with Silver Buck but surpassed that achievement a year later when his Bregawn won the race. The horses that finished in the next four places all came from Dickenson’s stable and the achievement is arguably the greatest in the history of the race.