If you’re looking for information on Cheltenham odds, then you’ve come to the right place. This expert guide has everything that you could need to know about the Cheltenham Festival odds, including prices for individual races, top jockey and top trainer markets. Read on, if you want the lowdown on the biggest horse racing events there is in the world.
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Why Cheltenham Odds Today Are So Important
The Cheltenham Festival is the most important week of the horse racing calendar. While the Grand National might be the most famous individual race in the UK and offers the most prize money, the focus is very much on that one race that takes place on the Saturday afternoon at Aintree. When it comes to Cheltenham betting, all four days are huge events, building towards the showpiece race that is the Gold Cup.
Taking place at Cheltenham Racecourse in March each year, the four-day festival features several Grade I races, which sees the best racehorses and jockeys from the UK and Ireland, compete against one another. These races include the aforementioned Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle. All of these races would be huge events in their own right, so to have them all take place in the same week is a dream come true for racing fans, who pore over the Cheltenham odds. More than 65,000 of these fans, attend each day of the event.
Naturally, the Cheltenham Festival is a huge betting event. Cheltenham odds are available all year round. The whole jumps season is very much focused on the four days in March, with speculation abounding as to which horses will be entered into which race and Cheltenham Festival odds being regularly updated on horse racing betting sites, as punters look to get a big price.
As way of example, there are already Cheltenham Gold Cup odds available for the 2023 event, before the 2022 race has even taken place. There is talk that by 2023 the Cheltenham Festival will expand to become a five-day event. Already described as the Olympic Games of horse racing, the Cheltenham Festival continues to grow and evolve.
Cheltenham Betting Odds
A huge amount of money is bet on Cheltenham Festival races each year through the best betting sites and of course, a lot is gambled on the favourites in those races. With the big event not far away, it’s worth considering how prudent it is to bet on those favourites. Do Cheltenham odds for favourites represent good value for money?
Let’s start with analysing the history of the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup odds. Over the last 20 years of Gold Cups, the race has been won by favourites on nine occasions. That seems like a pretty good ratio, but it’s become a less common occurrence. Six of those nine wins by favourites came between 2002 and 2011. Over the last ten years, there have only been three Gold Cups won by favourites. The Cheltenham Gold Cup betting odds for 2021, saw the winner Minella Indo start with odds of 9/1.
We’ve seen the opposite pattern over the last 20 years in the Champion Hurdle. Again, it’s been won by nine favourites over the past 20 races, but there were only three instances between 2002 and 2011, before six favourites won the face over the past ten years. Drill down further and you discover that three of the last four Champions Hurdles have been won by the favourite. Last year’s winner was Honeysuckle, who also leads the Cheltenham odds for the 2022 Champion Hurdle.
Cheltenham Festival Odds
In this section we’re going to look at the biggest betting events to be found at the Cheltenham Festival. The beauty of the Festival is that there are huge Grade 1 contests taking place each day and even those that act as support to these races, are of a very high quality. Cheltenham Festival betting odds provide big business for bookmakers. These are some of the key markets that you can expect to see.
Cheltenham Ante Post Odds
As mentioned previously, Cheltenham odds are available all year round. These early markets are known as Cheltenham ante post odds up until final declarations around 48 hours before each day of the Festival. Even these markets can be compatible with Cheltenham betting offers with bookies promoting deals as early as two months beforehand.
They are available on the biggest races that take place at Cheltenham. The official runners and riders are not known until nearer the time of the event, but Cheltenham races betting odds are still able to be produced, based on the horses that are expected to compete.
The obvious disadvantage of making a bet on the early Cheltenham race odds is that the horse that you pick, might not end up running. Yet an advantage is that you could get a much bigger price, than if you waited for the Cheltenham odds, closer to the event taking place. You might spot the early potential of a likely runner in the summer, before its quality becomes obvious to everyone.
Away from the Cheltenham races odds, the top jockey and top trainer awards, lend themselves very nicely to ante post markets. The Prestbury Cup, also falls into this category.
Champion Hurdle Odds
The Champion Hurdle is run over an extended two miles, on the Old Course at Cheltenham. It’s the most prestigious race of its kind in the world, with eight hurdles to be jumped and open to horses aged four and over. Taking place on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, the Champion Hurdle forms the third part of the Triple Crown of Hurdling, following on from the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park.
For fans of the race, Champion Hurdle odds are available all year. Punters might wish to wait until the Cheltenham Festival latest odds come out, after the other Triple Crown races have been run. In 2021, the Champion Hurdle was won by the favourite Honeysuckle, with the wonder mare leading the betting again in the current Cheltenham odds for this year’s race.
Queen Mother Champion Chase Odds
This race is a steeplechase open to horses aged five or over. Ran over a distance of nearly two miles, with 13 fences at the Old Course, it’s the feature race of the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. Called the Champion Chase for short, this race was renamed in 1980 to celebrate the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday. She was a huge supporter of National Hunt horse racing as an owner.
Put The Kettle On won this race in 2021 with Cheltenham race odds of 17/2. In the current Queen Mother Champion Chase odds, it’s Shishkin that is the favourite. Shishkin won the Clarence House Chase at Ascot over its rival Energumene and the victory is reflected in the Cheltenham odds available.
Stayers Hurdle Odds
The Stayers Hurdle is a hurdle race open to horses aged four years or over. Ran over a distance of about three miles on the New Course, there are a dozen hurdles to jump. This race headlines the third day of action, alongside the Ryanair Chase – a more recent addition to the Festival.
Champ was the favourite to win the 2022 Stayers Hurdle in the early Cheltenham betting odds, until he was beaten in the Cleeve Hurdle in January, by Paisley Park. That result saw last year’s winner Flooring Porter installed as the new favourite amongst bookmakers giving the best odds for Cheltenham. The Stayers Hurdle odds could well change again before the race, with the leading contenders all priced relatively closely.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds
The highlight of the Festival comes on the fourth and final day. The Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup odds attract a lot of attention, transcending horse racing and entering the consciousness of the wider sporting public. Ran on the New Course over an extended three-and-a-quarter miles, there are 22 fences to be jumped by the competing horses. This steeplechase is open to horses aged five or older and is the most prestigious of all the National Hunt events, with a total prize fund of £625,000 this year and the winner receiving over £351,000.
That winner was Minella Indo, who started at 9/1 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting odds. A Plus Tard leads the Cheltenham Gold Cup odds at the time of writing, having finished as runner-up in 2021. All major bookmakers have Gold Cup odds available all year round.
The Gold Cup has a rich history. Golden Miller was the most successful horse, with five consecutive wins between 1932 and 1936. Pat Taaffe is the jockey with the most wins with four, three of which came on equine legend Arkle in 1964, 1965 and 1966. In more recent years, As past Cheltenham results also show, Best Mate won three years in a row between 2002 and 2004. The battles between Kauto Star and Denman created huge interest in the Cheltenham Festival racing odds in the late 2000s. Al Boum Photo is the last horse to win the Gold Cup more than once, triumphing in 2019 and 2020.
Cheltenham Top Jockey Odds
One of the interesting aspects of the Cheltenham Festival is the fact that jockeys ride in several races across the four days of action. This allows for a top rider contest. The person who has the most winners in the saddle over the four days is named as the top jockey.
The Cheltenham top jockey odds are very competitive. After a period of dominance from Ruby Walsh, who was top jockey in five consecutive years between 2013 and 2017, there has been a different winner in each of the last four years. The favourite in the current Cheltenham odds is Paul Townend, who was top jockey in 2020 and leads the betting ahead of the 2021 top jockey, Rachael Blackmore.
Last year Blackmore rode six winners to take the top jockey crown. Over the last ten years, it has taken on average 4.5 wins to be named as top jockey. That’s something to consider when analysing the Cheltenham odds. The following table shows the details of the top jockey contest from the last ten years:
Year | Top Festival Jockey | Number of Winners |
2022 | Paul Townend | 5 |
2021 | Rachael Blackmore | 6 |
2020 | Paul Townend | 5 |
2019 | Nico de Boinville | 3 |
2018 | Davy Russell | 4 |
2017 | Ruby Walsh | 4 |
2016 | Ruby Walsh | 7 |
2015 | Ruby Walsh | 4 |
2014 | Ruby Walsh | 3 |
2013 | Ruby Walsh | 4 |
2012 | Barry Geraghty | 5 |
Cheltenham Top Trainer Odds
While the top jockey prize has been shared around a lot over recent years, the title of Cheltenham’s top trainer, has been dominated by just one man.
Willie Mullins has been the Cheltenham top trainer on eight occasions, of which seven have come in the last nine years. In total he’s trained 78 winners at Cheltenham, which is a record. This includes two Gold Cup wins for Al Boum Photo, four Champion Hurdle victories and two Stayers’ Hurdle successes.
Unsurprisingly, Mullins is the favourite in the Cheltenham top trainer odds again this year. He leads Gordon Elliott, who is the only other trainer (twice) to have won this title over the last nine years. Elliott and Mullins jointly hold the record for the most winners at a single Cheltenham Festival with eight apiece. The following table shows the details of the top trainer contest from the last ten years.
Year | Top Festival Trainer | Number of Winners |
2022 | Willie Mullins | 10 |
2021 | Willie Mullins | 6 |
2020 | Willie Mullins | 7 |
2019 | Willie Mullins | 4 |
2018 | Gordon Elliott | 8 |
2017 | Gordon Elliott | 6 |
2016 | Willie Mullins | 7 |
2015 | Willie Mullins | 8 |
2014 | Willie Mullins | 4 |
2013 | Willie Mullins | 5 |
2012 | Nicky Henderson | 7 |
Cheltenham Festival Betting Odds – Prestbury Cup
The Cheltenham Festival is extremely popular with the racing community of Ireland. Every year some 60,000 people from Ireland, including trainers, jockeys and fans, make the pilgrimage to Cheltenham. That amounts to nearly 30% of the total crowd over the four days, which is an incredible statistic and demonstrates the passion for horse racing that exists on the Emerald Isle.
Every year Ryanair increase the number of flights from Ireland to England by 30 times, to accommodate the influx to Cheltenham. Some 265,000 pints of Guinness are drunk at the Festival over the four days, with a large percentage of them being served at Cheltenham’s famous Guinness Village. Going to the event and getting the latest Cheltenham odds on course, has become an annual tradition for thousands of Irish punters.
There was always a rivalry between the British and Irish racing communities, with Cheltenham providing the perfect platform for that rivalry to be expressed. British and Irish horses, jockeys and trainers would go up against each other to see who was the best.
Prestbury Cup a Relatively New Festival Idea
It wasn’t until 2014 though, that a competition was invented that would give an official reflection of that rivalry. The Prestbury Cup is awarded to either Britain or Ireland, depending on which nation has the most winners at the Festival. As you would expect, there are Cheltenham odds available for this competition. Whether a winner is deemed to be British or Irish is based on the nationality of the trainer.
With the most successful Cheltenham trainers of the modern era being Irish in Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, it’s no surprise that they have dominated the Prestbury Cup over recent years. We can expect Ireland to be the heavy favourites to retain the Prestbury Cup, when the Cheltenham racing odds appear, nearer the time of the event. This is one of the most obvious Cheltenham tips out there for the Festival with many of the best horses trained in the Emerald Isle.
When the Prestbury Cup was launched in 2014, there were 27 races and a nation needed to win 14 or more to clinch victory. Since 2016, there has been 28 races, which means you need to win 15 races and that there is the possibility of a draw, which has added to the interest in the Cheltenham odds. The following table breaks down the last eight years of horse racing results in the Prestbury Cup.
Year | Prestbury Cup Winner | Ireland | Great Britain |
2021 | Ireland | 23 wins | 5 wins |
2020 | Ireland | 17 wins | 10 wins |
2019 | Tie | 14 wins | 14 wins |
2018 | Ireland | 17 wins | 11 wins |
2017 | Ireland | 19 wins | 9 wins |
2016 | Ireland | 15 wins | 13 wins |
2015 | Great Britain | 13 wins | 14 wins |
2014 | Great Britain | 12 wins | 15 wins |
Cheltenham Festival Latest Odds – Who is Popular with Punters?
Cheltenham Festival odds are impacted by a number of factors. Results in last year’s corresponding race or over the same course and distance in novice events, often plays a big part, with the victor often starting as favourite he following year. Form in those 12 months also impacts Cheltenham races odds, especially in key trial races.
Then there is the matter of what horses are popular with punters. If punters are largely putting their money on a particular horse, then the Cheltenham odds for that horse will drop. These shorter prices mean less value in placing any Cheltenham free bets on them that you may acquire. It means that the horses that are amongst the favourites in the Cheltenham Festival racing odds are not necessarily rated by the oddsmakers.
Sometimes a horse or jockey that are popular with the public attracts a weight of money, that sees their Cheltenham odds drop to a price below what it really should be at. The following table shows the latest Cheltenham Festival odds (at the time of writing) for every single race.
Cheltenham Festival 2022 Most Popular Horses & Best Odds
Festival Race | Most Popular Horse(s) | Best Cheltenham Odds |
SkyBet Supreme Novices Hurdle | Constitution Hill | 9/4 with Betfred |
Arkle Challenge Trophy | Edwardstone | 9/4 with BoyleSports |
Ultima Handicap Chase | Death Duty, Does He Know | 8/1 with William Hill |
Champion Hurdle | Honeysuckle | 4/7 with William Hill |
Mares Hurdle | Telmesomethinggirl | 3/1 with 888Sport |
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Gaelic Warrior | 11/4 with William Hill |
National Hunt Chase | Run Wild Fred, Stattler | 11/4 with SkyBet |
Ballymore Novices Hurdle | Sir Gerhard | 14/5 with SBK |
Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Galopin Des Champs | 5/6 with Betfred |
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle | Good Risk At All | 8/1 with Coral |
Queen Mother Champion Chase | Shishkin | 4/6 with BoyleSports |
Cross Country Chase | Tiger Roll | 2/1 with Bet365 |
Grand Annual Chase | Buddy Rich | 7/1 with Betfred |
Weatherbys Champion Bumper | Facile Vega | 11/10 with Betfair |
Turners Novices Chase | Bob Olinger | Evs with Betway |
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle | Winter Fog | 7/1 with 888Sport |
Ryanair Chase | Allaho | 4/6 with Bet365 |
Stayers Hurdle | Flooring Porter | 7/2 with SBK |
Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase | Celebre D’Allen | 6/1 with Bet365 |
Dawn Run Mares Novices Hurdle | Brandy Love | 14/5 with SBK |
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Frontal Assault | 5/1 with Coral |
JCB Triumph Hurdle | Vauban | 7/4 with Bet365 |
County Hurdle | State Man | 5/1 with 888Sport |
Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Minella Crooner | 9/2 with SBK |
Cheltenham Gold Cup | A Plus Tard | 7/2 with Betfred |
Festival Open Hunters Chase | Billaway | 3/1 with Coral |
Mares Chase | Elimay, Mount Ida | 5/2 with BoyleSports |
Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Langer Dan | 5/1 with QuinnBet |
All prices quoted correct as of 17:30 GMT on Saturday, 5 March.
Conclusion
This is the biggest event in the racing calendar and made all the more special, by the fact that it runs across several days. Racing fans can luxuriate in a carnival of top class horse racing, with competitive Cheltenham odds between competing bookmakers, ensuring that they get great value for their bets.
It’s easy to find the best odds at Cheltenham. You can use an on-course bookmaker, but there’s also the option of using your mobile phone to go to an odds comparison side, which will show you the online bookmaker with the biggest Cheltenham odds for whatever horse you fancy.
If you want to look at Cheltenham odds tomorrow, just sign up to one of our recommended bookies and got to their horse racing section. The Cheltenham odds will be easy to find, especially as the Festival gets nearer, when they will be displayed prominently on every betting website.
Cheltenham odds even get discussed in the mainstream media during the week of the event. It’s truly the Olympic Games of racing and this beloved institution continues to go from strength to strength.
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