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RP Recommends: These are the seven best bookmakers for betting on the Cheltenham Festival
Casting the net as wide as possible is paramount in the age of online betting, and this is especially true when it comes to betting at the Cheltenham Festival, which next year gets under way on Tuesday, March 11 and runs until Friday, March 14.
It stands to reason: online bookmakers are never more eager to get punters in the door than for Cheltenham in March, the biggest betting week of the year when it comes to horseracing.
The punter with unwavering loyalty to a single firm is hindering themselves massively at Cheltenham. Imagine being a diehard William Hill punter and missing out on other great offers for both new and existing customers elsewhere. Making a profit across the 28 ultra-competitive races at the Cheltenham Festival can be hard enough without tying one hand behind your back.
While we can all get wrapped up once the week of the Cheltenham Festival arrives, the battle to get ahead is an annual event these days. Before the winning jockey in the Cheltenham Gold Cup has even weighed in, punters will be able to bet on next year's running – not to mention half a dozen other races at the following year's Cheltenham Festival.
Taking a view on a race months in advance and getting it right is among the most satisfying feelings as a punter. But so is backing a winner on the day, particularly at the biggest meeting of all.
The odds have never been skewed so greatly in favour of the punter who can make best use of the myriad offers available at Cheltenham. Here we assess how best to navigate the landscape of betting at the biggest meeting of the year.
About the author
Robbie Wilders started with the Racing Post in 2018 and joined the tipping team in early-2022. He specialises in ante-post betting and is best known for writing the popular Ante-Postman email, a free weekly column that aims to unearth early value for readers and is already moving markets.
RP Recommends: the must-have betting account for the Cheltenham Festival
Betfair
When it comes to punting during the Cheltenham Festival, there is simply nowhere better to bet than the Betfair Exchange.
Get £50 In Free Bets When You Place £10
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The best online bookmakers for Cheltenham Festival betting
bet365
bet365 are often typically strong with their ante-post offering in the lead-up to the Cheltenham Festival and they are a go-to bookmaker for punters during the biggest week of all.
They offer best odds guaranteed from 8am on the day of racing, but it is worth noting they no longer offer their hugely popular Price Promise. They are still one of the most competitive firms on the market for price.
Additionally, bet365 regularly offer enhanced each-way terms on the hotly contested Cheltenham Festival handicaps, while they also tend to hold their nerve for longer than most when they take one on in the market.
Main pros:
- Great all-rounder
- Excellent non-runner no bet concessions
- Tend to hold their nerve for longer than most
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
- Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)
Betfair
If you are serious about your betting there is no excuse not to have an account with Betfair. Even if you struggle to get a meaningful wager on via the sportsbook, there are likely to be no such worries on the exchange as racetime approaches.
It is a platform where punters essentially compete against each other and the opportunity to get matched at prices that often blow the usual books out of the water – even allowing for Betfair's commission – is rife.
You hear reports these days of high-rolling punters bemoaning the lack of liquidity on the exchange on quiet Mondays, or on the lesser meetings on busy Saturdays. When it comes to the Cheltenham Festival, however, there is simply nowhere better to get on than the Betfair Exchange. Every single event at the Cheltenham Festival generally turns over millions in the day-of-race market.
As is often mentioned by RP Recommends, the Betfair Sportsbook runs parallel to the main exchange product and is not always among the most-sought after bookmakers to bet with. However, they can come up with decent deals during Cheltenham such as free bets on horseracing multiples, and their each-way place terms are also competitive in the big festival handicaps.
Main pros:
- A must-have for the Cheltenham Festival
- Exchange markets involving great prices with millions bet on the day
- Good sportsbook promotions including free bets on racing multiples
Get £50 In Free Bets When You Place £10
- Free bets with Betfair's Rewards Club
William Hill
William Hill reintroduced Best Odds Guaranteed this year and that, along with their usually generous place terms and on-the-day specials has propelled them up the list of must-have accounts. They were the first major bookmaker to go non-runner no bet on all 2025 Cheltenham Festival races in the first week of January and with that came great intrigue. Generally speaking, the earlier the better with NRNB. Those whose targets are up in the air are gradually firmed up and there is less time for horses to be ruled out of the festival due to physical ailments. Also keep your eyes peeled for on-the-day specials.
Main pros:
- Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am
- Quick to offer non-runner no bet (NRNB) concession
- Popular promotions involving big horses
- Generous place terms available
Deposit And Bet £10 To Get £60 Free Bets
- Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)
Coral
The free-to-play £50,000 Coral Racing Super Series is often a big hit with punters. The task is simply to select a horse to place in all seven races each day of the festival (not as easy as it sounds) and that is an excellent no-risk proposition worth playing in, even for a bit of fun. They sometimes lag behind their rivals regarding place terms, but the compensation for that is usually superior odds on the win side of the bet and Best Odds Guaranteed.
Coral are a strong bookmaker for the week-in, week-out punter. They are not the strongest on promotions and therefore regular Coral punters may want to spread their net a little wider during Cheltenham week.
Main pros:
- A solid horseracing-focused bookie
- Best Odds Guaranteed
- Free-to-play Coral Racing Super Series
Get £5 In Free Bets When You Bet £5 On Aintree
- Generous odds on horse racing
Ladbrokes
The Ladbrokes prices mirror those of sister company Coral and that means you can duplicate your wagers at the same price across two platforms. That is handy for those who stake big, although admittedly getting on is not such a big issue at the Cheltenham Festival.
Main pros:
- Respected and established bookmaker
- Best Odds Guaranteed
- Free bets up for grabs during Cheltenham
£20 In Free Bets When You Bet £5
- Great acca features, including the ability to edit a live accumulator
Paddy Power
Nobody can compete with Paddy Power's aggressive marketing and their Cheltenham Festival offers are generally standout too, with generous place terms in the races that merit them.
Their relationship with Betfair is akin to that which Coral and Ladbrokes share, although Paddy Power will typically be a more attractive traditional sportsbook option than the Betfair Sportsbook.
Main pros:
- Market-leading offers and promotions
- Generous each-way terms on certain races
- Attractive and popular traditional sportsbook option
40/1 Galopin Des Champs To Win Gold Cup
- Request custom bets on Twitter with #WhatOddsPaddy
Sky Bet
Sky Bet are the firm to go for enhanced place terms, often being a place, or even two or three places, better than rival firms. The down point to that is you can no longer take SP and their prices are often considerably shorter than other firms, so be sure to weigh up the value of the extra places.
Their new customer offers for the Cheltenham Festival are competitive, while their place terms, often among the best in the industry 365 days a year, also excel even during Cheltenham week too.
Main pros:
- Industry-leading money-back offers
- Exceptional each-way betting markets
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- Christmas Special
What makes a good online bookmaker for betting at the Cheltenham Festival?
Taking an early view
Ante-post betting is often where the juiciest rewards lie. It is something every racing punter will have dabbled with, whether that be via early markets for the weekend's feature races or a longer-term interest at the Cheltenham Festival or Grand National.
Consistently snapping up fancy prices about a horse and blowing on-the-day players out of the water with a superior position is going to do your prospects of making the game pay no harm.
The first half of the jumps season is, rightly or wrongly, essentially billed as a build-up to the festival. Therefore, there is barely a big race from November to February that will not cause ructions in the Cheltenham Festival ante-post markets.
Every firm wants a slice of the ante-post pie – and it is not a case of them piggybacking off each other's work, or the often-illiquid Betfair Exchange markets.
You will often find significant variances in festival prices across the board, reinforcing the importance to have all bases covered with a wide range of accounts.
In an age of stake restrictions to limit bookmaker risk of being stung by sharp money, festival markets are often where traders appear to be at their most accepting.
Non-runner no bet
The non-runner no bet (NRNB) concession has added a new dimension to Cheltenham Festival betting and accepting a reduced price about a horse is often a popular option for ante-post punters.
The risk associated with a long-term interest – for instance horses sustaining festival-ending injuries or having an alternative target – is eliminated with this offer, which guarantees the return of your stake if your selection does not run.
Bettors can rest easy with that safety net, although NRNB prices must be compared with the operators who choose not to offer that service.
Taking 20-1 NRNB about your Gold Cup fancy who is 25-1 without that comfort is usually more logical than playing another horse who is 10-1 NRNB when 20-1 is available elsewhere.
Of course, the calculation changes somewhat depending on how far away the race is and on the likelihood of your selection running. This is a case where the exchange markets, which are not always the most useful for ante-post Cheltenham Festival betting, can help.
On-the-day offers
History tells us a Cheltenham Festival market in the first week of November is probably going to bear minimal resemblance to what is available come raceday in March.
Once the final field for a race is confirmed that is when the trading competition really begins. Among the punter-friendly incentives that bookmakers offer include best odds guaranteed, enhanced place terms, price boosts and free bets.
The offer most notable at Cheltenham compared with other meetings is the money-back special. Some firms will refund losing stakes on a race, typically the first race of the day, in order to secure your custom for the rest of the day or even the week.
Conclusion
The Cheltenham Festival has become the cornerstone of the jumps season for a reason. The cliches about 'racing's Olympics' hint at an undeniable truth that these are among the most competitive races of the whole season, from the opening Supreme on Tuesday to the closing Martin Pipe on Friday.
When it comes to the week itself, make sure you are armed with as many accounts as possible to take advantage of the frenzy of offers at the Cheltenham Festival. Some firms will also offer boosted welcome bonuses, so if any of the bookmakers named here make appeal and you do not have an account with them yet, set aside some time ahead of the Cheltenham Festival and be sure to expand your betting toolkit.
As a punter, you want to be able to concentrate on finding winners. That is why you should stick with the Racing Post, who will offer you the chance to bet with many of the firms listed here without moving from our website or mobile app.
Remember to gamble responsibly
Gambling can be an enjoyable and exciting form of entertainment, but it can also be a serious risk if not done responsibly. It is important to understand the risks associated with gambling and to take steps to minimise them. You can always call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit www.gamstop.co.uk if you need extra help or advice.
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Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.
Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.
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