The Cheltenham Festival is the championship meeting of jump racing in Britain and Ireland. It runs over four days in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, and the Gold Cup on the Friday is the highlight of the week. It's also the busiest betting week of the jumps season, which makes it the most important week of the year for a racing tips site.
The four days at a glance
| Day | Championship race | Also on the card |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Champion Hurdle (about 2 miles) | Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which opens the Festival, and the Arkle for novice chasers |
| Wednesday | Queen Mother Champion Chase (2 miles) | The Champion Bumper, a Flat race for jumps horses |
| Thursday | Stayers' Hurdle (about 3 miles) | The Ryanair Chase and the Mares' Hurdle |
| Friday | Cheltenham Gold Cup (about 3¼ miles) | The Triumph Hurdle for four-year-olds |
Recent Festivals have run seven races a day. Handicaps with big fields sit alongside the championship races, and they are where each-way bets and longer-priced tips come into their own.
Ante-post betting and non-runner no bet
Many punters bet weeks or months in advance, known as ante-post betting, to take bigger prices. The catch: if your horse doesn't run, a normal ante-post bet is lost. In the run-up to the Festival, bookmakers often offer non-runner no bet (NRNB) on the big races, which refunds your stake if your horse is a non-runner. Check which races the concession covers before you bet.
How to approach the week
- Set a budget for all four days before Tuesday, not one per day that grows after a bad Wednesday.
- Watch the going. The ground can change during the week, and some horses are only effective on soft or good ground.
- Look for extra places. Bookmakers compete hard for Festival business, and extra each-way places on the big handicaps are common.
- Take early prices on the day with bookmakers that offer Best Odds Guaranteed.
- Keep records. The Festival is 28 bets if you back something in every race; know where you stand.
FAQs
When is the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival takes place every March at Cheltenham Racecourse, running from Tuesday to Friday. The Champion Hurdle is on the Tuesday and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the highlight of the week, is on the Friday.
What is the biggest race at the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup, run on the Friday over about three and a quarter miles, is the Festival's most prestigious race and the championship for staying chasers. The Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle are the other championship races.
What does non-runner no bet mean?
Non-runner no bet (NRNB) is a bookmaker concession on ante-post markets: if your horse doesn't take part in the race, your stake is refunded instead of lost. It is usually offered on selected big races in the weeks before a major meeting.