The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is now underway as the biggest horse racing jumps fixture on the planet will run each day until Friday.
So we’ve got all the key questions answered, best bets and top betting offers as horse racing fans lock themselves in for four days of high octane equine action.
Best Cheltenham Betting Offers With Free Bets
There are also many Cheltenham betting offers and free bets to snap-up ahead (and during) meeting with the best UK horseracing betting sites. We’ve £200 in bookmaker free bets below.
Cheltenham Festival 2024 Preview: Four Days Of Top-Notch Jumping Action From Prestbury Park
For most horse racing fans the Cheltenham Festival is the big highlight on the calendar as it brings together the best jumping stars from Britain and Ireland (and sometimes France) in what is often billed as ‘Jump Racing’s Olympics’.
Over the four days there are 28 races (seven each day) with a daily championship headline event, plus there is always a subplot contest between the Irish and British trainers as they battle it out for the Prestbury Cup.
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is also being dubbed ‘The Willie Mullins Show’ as the leading Irish handler seems to have a stranglehold on jumps racing on both sides of the Irish Sea at the moment.
Willie Mullins has been top Cheltenham trainer ten times – including all of the last five meetings – and has amassed 94 total winners at the Festival over the years. There are only seven races he’s yet to win – find out which ones here.
Meaning he’ll be long odds-on to hit the magic hundred landmark at the 2024 meeting – needing just six winners, which is something Mullins has managed in all of the last four Festivals.
Cheltenham Festival Best Bets
Over the four days there will be many Cheltenham Festival betting offers to look out for – so if you can’t beat them join them.
See below our standout best bet for each day of the meeting.
Tuesday:
LOSSIEMOUTH (4:10pm: Mares’ Hurdle) – Bolted-up in the International Hurdle on Trials Day at Cheltenham at the end of January and this talented grey mare is expected to be a Champion Hurdle challenger in the years to come. Up to 2m4f for the first but certainly wasn’t stopping the last day over 2m1f and will be a warm order to give Mullins his first win in the race since 2018. WON (8/13)
Wednesday:
BALLYBURN (1:30pm: Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle)- This classy novice had been the subject of a lot of press in the build-up to the race, with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle another option. Connections, however, have opted to run over the longer trip and after impressing at the Dublin Racing Festival in February can make it 3-from-4 over hurdles.
Thursday:
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD (4:50pm: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) – Top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has gone on record as saying this 5 year-old mare is one of the most promising horses he’s every had and the tip should be taken. Owned by Gigginstown House Stud, the horse is yet to lose a race (5-from-5) and was super impressive in winning by 12-lengths at Navan the last day.
Friday:
GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (3:30pm: Gold Cup) – Last year’s Gold Cup winner hit a few bumps in the road after his Cheltenham glory 12 months ago – losing twice to Fastorslow, who he takes on again. However, he got his revenge on that horse last month in the Irish Gold Cup – beating him by 4 1/2 lengths. He’s taken to repeat the feat in the biggest race at the meeting and join Al Boum Photo and Best Mate as back-to-back winners since 2003.
Cheltenham Festival Race Cards For Every Day
Tuesday 12th March 2024
- 1.30: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m) ITV
- 2.10: Arkle Novices’ Chase (2m) ITV
- 2.50: Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f) ITV
- 3.30: Champion Hurdle (2m) ITV
- 4.10: Mares’ Hurdle (2m 3f) ITV
- 4.50: Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m) RTV
- 5.30: National Hunt Chase (3m 5f) RTV
Cheltenham Festival day one always starts with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and as soon as the tape goes up the famous ‘Cheltenham Roar’ will be heard all across the Cotswolds.
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is a race trainer Willie Mullins has won seven times over the years and has a strong hand again with Tullyhill and Mystical Power both prominent in the betting.
Day one also sees the Arkle Chase, which in the last 10 years has been a top race for the favourites (70%), and another Mullins has a top record in with five wins since 2015.
However, the opening day feature is the Champion Hurdle (3:30pm) – a contest that has been in the news in the build-up to the Festival with last year’s winner Constitution Hill missing the race with a mucus infection. This leaves the way for State Man as the clear one to beat.
If he wins at 1/3 of shorter – he’ll become the shortest ever priced winner of the race.
Wednesday 13th March 2024
- 1.30: Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f) ITV
- 2.10: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (3m) V
- 2.50: Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) (2m 5f) ITV
- 3.30: Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m) ITV
- 4.10: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3m 5f) ITV
- 4.50: Grand Annual Handicap Chase (2m) RTV
- 5.30: Champion Bumper (2m) RTV
Into day two at the Cheltenham Festival and the action gets going with the newly-sponsored Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, where all eyes will be on yet another Willie Mullins-trained hot-pot in Ballyburn.
The Brown Advisory is another exciting race on paper this year with the promising Fact To File, who many are tipping as a future Gold Cup winner, the favourite with the best UK horse racing betting sites.
It’s the Champion Chase that is the day two feature though and Willie Mullins looks to win the race for a third year in-a-row – this time with his unbeaten (over fences) El Fabiolo.
The ‘marmite’ race, which is the Cross Country Chase will see the winner of the last two years Delta Work back for more. While the day ends with the only race without an obstacle – the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. A prize Willie Mullins has won 12 times.
Thursday 14th March 2024
- 1.30: Turners Novices’ Chase (2m 3f) ITV
- 2.10: Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle (3m) ITV
- 2.50: Ryanair Chase (2m 4f) ITV
- 3.30: Stayers’ Hurdle (3m) ITV
- 4.10: TrustATrader Plate (Handicap Chase) (2m 4f) ITV
- 4.50: Mares Novices’ Hurdle (2m) RTV
- 5.30: Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (Handicap Chase) (3m 2f) RTV
Onto Thursday (day three) and the seven-race card kicks off with the Turners’ Novices’ Chase as we get a chance to see some of the stars of the future strutting their stuff. Grey Dawning and Ginny’s Destiny are two of the leading fancies.
The Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Kim Muir and Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle are three other festival day three races, but the action is spearheaded by the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Envoi Allen took the Ryanair Chase 12 months ago and is back for more at the age of 10, while the Stayers’ Hurdle looks a competitive renewal. With last year’s bronze Teahupoo propping up the betting with the best online gambling sites.
Friday 15th March 2024
- 1.30: Triumph Hurdle (2m) ITV
- 2.10: County Hurdle (Handicap) (2m) ITV
- 2.50: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) ITV
- 3.30: Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2f) ITV
- 4.10: St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Hunters’ Chase (3m 2f) ITV
- 4.50: Mares’ Chase (2m 4f) RTV
- 5.30: Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle (2m 4f) RTV
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival concludes on Friday – day four – and we get going with the Triumph Hurdle, where the Nicky Henderson camp will be trying to win the prize for a seventh time. He’s already the winning-most handler in the history of the race.
Hendo runs the hot favourite Sir Gino in a bid to extend his record.
Next up is the County Hurdle – a race that remarkably trainers Dan Skelton and Willie Mullins have won eight times in the last nine years.
However, the final day at the Cheltenham Festival is always about the Gold Cup – billed as the Blue Riband contest of the meeting. Where last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs will be hoping to become only the second back-to-back winner since 2003.
When Is The Cheltenham Festival?
📅Date: Tuesday 12th- Friday 15th March 2024
🕙Time: First Race 1:30pm, Last Race 5:30pm each day
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
📺 TV: Racing TV / ITV
How To Watch The Cheltenham Festival Live Stream
The 2024 Cheltenham Festival will be shown every day on both ITV and RacingTV.
ITV Racing will show the first FIVE races each day, with the monthly subscription channel – RacingTV – having all 28 races covered.
You can also sign-up to the best live horse racing streaming sites to watch the Cheltenham Festival 2024.
Most UK bookmakers will have the option to watch EVERY race, so long you’ve placed a bet on the race. Their live streaming can be obtained on mobile, tablets, laptops and PC’s.
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