The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most anticipated events on the sporting calendar, with the famous four-day event showcasing the best jump racing in the UK and Ireland and attracting over 250,000 racegoers over the course of the week.
Not only is it one of the most attended events of the year, but one of the most popular events to bet on. Billions of pounds are wagered on Cheltenham every year, with the event overall thought to garner more interest than the Premier League and Champions League.
With this in mind – and to help punters get the most from the week – here are our top tips for betting on Cheltenham.
Take advantage of the many promotions
The huge interest in the event from seasoned racing fans to casual bettors alike means there’s no shortage of offers flying around in the build up to and during the festival itself.
Online bookies fight amongst themselves to secure a piece of the lucrative Cheltenham pie by releasing various promotions and bonuses including free bets, money back guarantees, insurance bets and odds boosts, with a significant proportion of offers reserved to entice new customers.
Often, betting companies double and, sometimes, even triple their regular sign-up offer throughout Cheltenham to woo more bettors and gain an edge over fellow bookmakers.
For those looking to claim the latest betting offers for Cheltenham, keep in mind that many of the promotions you find will be reduced or removed once the festival is over, so take advantage while you can!
Do your research
Regardless of the sport or event you’re betting on, some degree of research should be carried out to back up your prediction. But even more so when wagering on horse racing, which involves many variables.
If you’re backing a horse during the festival, check out the trainers and jockeys in good form and consider their history at Cheltenham – do they have previous experience of winning at the festival?
The distance is also important. Some horses can only manage a certain distance, while others have the means to go that little bit further.
Another point to consider is form at Cheltenham Racecourse itself. Knowing whether the horse has proven itself on the same course it’s about to run on is important and could be crucial in identifying a winner.
And then, of course, there’s the ‘lovely’ British weather, which has the potential to put pay to any best laid plans. The condition of the ground underfoot can have a huge bearing on how a race pans out, with some horses performing well on heavy ground and others responding better to drier conditions.
Either way, keeping your eye on the latest weather forecast is an essential part of your research.
Always keep within your budget
Betting on racing is a fun hobby. Few experiences can beat the thrill of seeing your pick cross the line, we can all agree on that.
However, gambling should always remain fun. The moment you begin to spend more than you can afford and/or chase your losses is when the enjoyment ends and problems arise.
With 28 races over the four days, it’s important to set a budget for the festival and keep to it. Regardless of which UK bookie you have an account with, there are safer gambling tools to help control your spending.
Among the measures you can put in place to manage your gambling habits are deposit limits (daily/weekly/monthly), deposit curfews, wagering limits, reality checks, time-outs and even self exclusion. For extra advice or support, organisations such as Gamstop, BeGambleAware and GamCare can also help you.
