Cheltenham Festival - 2023
The 2023 Cheltenham Festival will be the biggest meet in the National Hunt Calendar, and offers horse racing fans the opportunity of betting on 28 separate events over its four days.
The Cheltenham Race Schedule starts Tuesday March 14th at 13:30pm with the Supreme Novices Hurdle, and finishes with the Conditional Jockeys Hurdle at 17:30pm on Friday 17th.
Cheltenham Betting Offers
As well as a Cheltenham betting guide, we've also compiled bookmakers best betting promotions and signup offers that are available for this years Cheltenham Festival below.
Popular betting offers for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival include 'Non-Runner, No Bet' type deals which basically means a bookmaker will refund your stake if horses you back don't run.
Check out bet365's Cheltenham offers as they sometimes offer a 'Best Odds Guarantee' on the 5 main races, as well as the aforementioned 'Non-Runner, No Bet' (NRNB) promotion.
There are often other types of Cheltenham betting offers to take advantage of too including some bookmakers offering double winnings when betting on the first race of the day!
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Cheltenham Betting Guide
With 28 races to bet on across 4 days of the Cheltenham Festival 2023, this is without doubt set to be one of the most exciting horse racing events of the season so far!
The race schedule for this years festival is shown below, and we've also highlighted the most popular races to bet on each day including a guide to betting on the race.
Check out our bookmakers signup offers page if you're planning to bet on the 2023 Cheltenham Festival at a new betting portal as there's plenty of free bets on offer for new account holders.
Cheltenham - Day 1
Historically the most popular race to bet on on day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival is the Champion Hurdle which is a Grade 1 Hurdle with a distance of 2m abt ½f.
TUESDAY 14th
- 13:30 - Supreme Novices Hurdle
- 14:10 - Arkle Challenge Trophy
- 14:50 - Handicap Steeple Chase
- 15:30 - Champion Hurdle
- 16:10 - Mares Hurdle
- 16:50 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
- 17:30 - National Hunt Chase
Cheltenham - Day 2
The race most punters will be betting on on day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase, is a Grade 1 Chase that's run over abt 2m.
WEDNESDAY 15th
- 13:30 - Ballymore Novices Hurdle
- 14:10 - Novices' Steeple Chase
- 14:50 - Coral Cup Hurdle
- 15:30 - Champion Chase
- 16:10 - Cross Country Chase
- 16:50 - Handicap Steeple Chase
- 17:30 - Champion Bumper
Cheltenham - Day 3
The main race to bet on on day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival is the Ryanair Chase (2m abt 5f) with the Stayers Hurdle (abt 3m) also a very popular race.
THURSDAY 16th
- 13:30 - Marsh Novices’ Chase
- 14:10 - Pertemps Final Hurdle
- 14:50 - Ryanair Chase
- 15:30 - Stayers Hurdle
- 16:10 - Stable Plate
- 16:50 - Mares' Novices' Hurdle
- 17:30 - Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Cheltenham - Day 4
It goes without saying but the race you just have to bet on when it comes to day 4 of the festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup which is raced over 3m abt 2½f.
FRIDAY 17th
- 13:30 - JCB Triumph Hurdle
- 14:10 - County Handicap Hurdle
- 14:50 - Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle
- 15:30 - Cheltenham Gold Cup
- 16:10 - Open Hunters' Steeple Chase
- 16:50 - Mares' Steeple Chase
- 17:30 - Conditional Jockeys Hurdle
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious meeting in the National Hunt Racing Calendar in the UK. The race prize is second to the Grand National. The Cheltenham Festival is a chance for the best Irish and British horses to come together and race one another.
Cheltenham Festival is the first major horse racing even of the year and takes place in March at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
Massive amounts of money are bet on the event with British Bookmakers usually reporting that hundreds of millions of pounds have been gambled over the four day festival.
As with most horse race betting events, actually betting comprises a significant aspect of its appeal. The event is known for its atmosphere, most notably the famous Cheltenham roar.
The Cheltenham roar refers to the noise made when he horses enter the home straight and long run in. The roar can also usually be heard at the opening race of the festival.
Cheltenham History
Cheltenham Festival ran over 3 days for a long time, however this all changed in 2005 when a an extra day was introduced making the Festival the four day event that we know now.
There are now 24 races, with grade one events commonly described as Championship Races.
The first Cheltenham Festival took place in 1902 and since then has continued to gain more and more distinctions within the racing calendar, becoming nearly as in important as the Grand National, the prize money also seconding the Grand Nationals prize.
Every year without a fail now, the build up to Cheltenham Festival begins months in advance.
Most of the cheltenham bets that British Bookmakers take usually occur when the actual event is taking place, with hundred of millions of pounds spent on races.
The three most popular races are Tuesdays Champion Hurdle. Followed by the Queen Mother Champion Chase on the Wednesday and on Friday by the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Cheltenham Racecourse
A number one priority of the Cheltenham Racecourse has been to provide the best underfoot conditions for the horses. The aim has been to provide the best conditions for the Cheltenham Gold Cup but also for events taking place throughout the whole year.
Using the available ground has enable the Racecourse to produce fresh ground on the new course for both third and in 2005 the fourth day of the festival.
A day at the Cheltenham Festival comprises of six races, with the meeting getting underway with the Supreme Novices Hurdle on Tuesday afternoon, which is the first race of the event.
The Feature race however being the Champion Hurdle, which regardless of attracting large fields is normally taken by those more favoured in the Cheltenham betting markets.
The most successful horse in Cheltenham Gold Cup history was Golden Miller, who won five times. There have also been another three horses that won the cup 3 times consecutively.
The race course has many advantages including onsite accommodation and several restaurants to choose from. At Cheltenham there is a huge choice of places where food and drink is available, ranging from bars to seafood and beef burger stalls.
An impressive range of hotels can also be found in the surrounding area, usually offering exclusive deals and VIP packages whilst the Cheltenham Festival is on.
