Cheltenham Betting Odds, Prediction Tips and Runners
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival will take place between Tuesday, March 10th, and Friday, March 13th. A total of 28 races will be held across four days of racing, including iconic events like the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Cheltenham Festival betting clearly unlocks several win markets and potential each-way wagers. So, we'll preview some of the standout races and the latest Cheltenham festival betting odds below, while also offering some insightful wagering tips.
Cheltenham Betting Odds – Outright
Outright markets are the most popular when betting at the Cheltenham Festival, as they enable you to wager on individual race winners and the festival's best performing jockeys and trainers.
When engaging in Cheltenham Festival ante-post betting, outright markets also tend to unlock highly competitive odds. Below, you'll find the latest prices from Ireland's best Cheltenham Festival betting sites, across a selection of the event's most prestigious G1 races.
▶ Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds
▶ The Champion Chase Odds
▶ The Champion Hurdle Odds
▶ Ryanair Chase Odds
▶ Stayers Hurdle Odds
🏁 2026 Cheltenham Runners: List of Confirmed Horses and Favourites
Next in our Cheltenham Festival betting guide, we're going to look at the confirmed runners for 2026. Some of these runners will compete in multiple races at the festival, with Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior slated to feature in both the Gold Cup and the Ryanair Chase. Both of these runners belong to the Willie Mullins stable. The Irish trainer is projected to enter 52 different horses into the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, although some of these runners have yet to be confirmed.
| Runner | Age | Rider | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballyburn | 8 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Banbridge | 9 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Bob Olinger | 11 | TBA | Henry de Bromhead |
| Brighterdaysahead | 7 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Champ Kiely | 10 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Croke Park | 8 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Constitution Hill | 9 | TBA | Nicky Henderson |
| Envoi Allen | 12 | TBA | Henry de Bromhead |
| Fact To File | 9 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Firefox | 8 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Found A Fifty | 9 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Gaelic Warrior | 8 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Galopin des Champs | 10 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Golden Ace | 8 | TBA | Jeremy Scott |
| Grey Dawning | 9 | TBA | Dan Skelton |
| Haiti Couleurs | 9 | TBA | Rebecca Curtis |
| Heart Wood | 8 | TBA | Henry de Bromhead |
| Honesty Policy | 6 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| I Am Maximus | 10 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Il Etait Temps | 8 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Impaire Et Passe | 8 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Impose Toi | 8 | TBA | Nicky Henderson |
| Jango Baie | 7 | TBA | Nicky Henderson |
| Jonbon | 10 | TBA | Nicky Henderson |
| Kabral Du Mathan | 6 | TBA | Dan Skelton |
| LEau du Sud | 8 | TBA | Dan Skelton |
| L'Homme Presse | 11 | TBA | Venetia Williams |
| Lossiemouth | 7 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Majborough | 6 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Marine Nationale | 9 | TBA | Barry Connell |
| Ma Shantou | 7 | TBA | Emma Lavelle |
| Monty's Star | 9 | TBA | Henry de Bromhead |
| Nick Rockett | 9 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Quilixios | 9 | TBA | Henry de Bromhead |
| Resplendent Grey | 8 | TBA | Olly Murphy |
| Sir Gino | 6 | TBA | Nicky Henderson |
| Spillane's Tower | 8 | TBA | Jimmy Mangan |
| Spindleberry | 8 | TBA | Willie Mullins |
| Stellar Story | 9 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Teahupoo | 9 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| The Jukebox Man | 8 | TBA | Ben Pauling |
| The New Lion | 7 | TBA | Dan Skelton |
| The Yellow Clay | 7 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Three Card Brag | 9 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
| Wodooh | 6 | TBA | Gordon Elliott |
⭐ Cheltenham Betting Markets
Regardless of your preferred runners and races, Cheltenham Festival 2026 betting will unlock a diverse selection of markets. Win and each-way markets are the most popular overall, while advanced bettors can explore more exotic wager types. Here's a summary of your options.
▶ Win
This straightforward wager type requires you to pick the winner of a particular race. The bet will only payout if your pick comes first, so it usually unlocks enhanced and competitive betting odds.
This is especially true in Cheltenham's Grade 1 races, which feature large and competitive fields with a number of potential winners.
Of course, competitive win market odds also carry relatively low implied probability values. You should also be wary of blindly picking favourites to win G1 races like the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where just nine of the previous 20 victors (45.0%) have started the race as favourites.
▶ Each-Way
Each-way betting enables you to split your stake evenly between two or more potential outcomes. Half of the stake will back your runner to win, while the remainder will pick them to place at proportional odds.
Place bets will usually pay out if your horse finishes second, third or fourth. This will be determined based on the grade of the race and the number of runners. Some online sportsbooks also offer Extra Place promotions that pay out on additional places. If your horse finishes first, the win portion of the bet will be paid out in full.
Place terms usually pay out at odds of either 1.20 or 1.25. As a result, each-way picks are synonymous with higher implied probability values but lower returns on average. This wager type is popular at meetings like Cheltenham because of the competitiveness of G1 and G2 races and their unpredictability.
▶ Cheltenham Place Betting Odds
Place wagers are also a staple of Cheltenham festival betting, while they enable you to pick runners that you think will finish in the top positions. As with an each-way bet, place wagers will usually payout if your horse finishes second, third or fourth, although in this instance, there's no win component.
Because of this, place bets cover slightly fewer outcomes than each-way wagers. However, they tend to deliver slightly higher returns, as your stake isn't distributed between different outcomes.
Place betting is highly recommended at Cheltenham, particularly ahead of Grade 1 races. These events feature large fields and will typically pay out up to four places, increasing your chances of banking some kind of return in competitive races.
▶ Trifecta Bet
The Trifecta bet is a high-risk wager type that requires you to pick the horses that will finish first, second or third in a race. You must predict the correct order too. This bet translates into low implied probability values but potentially significant returns.
This describes a straight trifecta, but other variations of the wager exist. With a so-called boxed trifecta, for example, you'll still predict which runners will finish first, second or third but are allowed three or more selections per place. However, this iteration is less widely available online.
Ultimately, straight trifectas are best deployed by experienced bettors who use analysis to inform their picks. They can also unlock particularly high odds during competitive G1 races at Cheltenham.
▶ Exacta Bet
When placing an exacta bet (which may also be called a forecast wager), you'll have to successfully pick the first and second horses to finish a race. Once again, you'll need to predict the precise order in which the two runners will finish.
So, even if you accurately predict the identity of the first two horses to cross the finish line, the bet won't pay out if they've been selected in the wrong order.
This is a simpler wager type than a straight trifecta, and therefore considerably more popular among casual bettors. However, they're still relatively high risk and capable of unlocking incredibly competitive odds.
▶Lucky 15
A Lucky 15 wager is incredibly high risk and involves four different selections. In total, these comprise 15 bets, including four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold accumulator.
As a multiple bet, the potential returns are incredibly high. What's more, incremental returns are possible even if just one selection wins.
Favoured by experienced and analytical bettors, Lucky 15 wagers are also particularly popular at festivals such as Cheltenham. This is due to the large number of races held across the four days and the amount of coverage that the event receives. This makes it easier to make a high volume of informed picks.
▶ Cheltenham Accumulator Betting Odds
A Lucky 15 includes one four-fold accumulator. This type of combination bet picks several winners and race outcomes within a single wager, where the odds of each line are multiplied together to create an enhanced price.
However, each leg must win for the wager to pay out. Although some sportsbooks offer acca insurance (which may trigger a reduced payout if one leg fails), usually a single loss is enough to cost you your stake.
The key here is to build accumulators that strike the delicate balance between risk and reward. Three and four-fold accumulators offer optimal value in this respect, as the odds ensure a generous payout and a reasonable implied probability value.
Cheltenham Betting Tips
With so many races and betting markets available, it can be hard to locate the best value lines when wagering on the Cheltenham Festival. So, we've prepared some expert Cheltenham Festival betting tips, which are focused on the most popular races.
1️⃣ Tip 1 – Back Gaelic Warrior Each-Way in the Gold Cup
Fact To File is the ante-post Gold Cup favourite in the current Cheltenham Festival betting, but his participation has yet to be fully confirmed. As we've touched on, only nine out of 20 Gold Cup winners since 2005 have started the race as the favourite too.
This trend suggests that you should avoid both Fact To File and win market betting in this year's Gold Cup. Instead, consider backing Gaelic Warrior each-way at odds of 7.50 with Dachbet, with the eight-year-old gelding having placed in 11 of his 12 career chases to date (91.6%).
He has won six of these entries and regularly competed over three miles or more, while he finished second behind Fact To File in the G1 Irish Gold Cup Chase on February 2nd.
Gaelic Warrior also comes from the stellar Willie Mullins stable. This has produced four Gold Cup winners and 12 placed finishes since 2005, while 29% of Mullins' 372 runners have placed at the Cheltenham Racecourse overall since 2020.
2️⃣ Tip 2 – Bet on Jonbon to Place in the Champion Chase
As with the Gold Cup, ante-post favourites often fail to win the G1 Champion Chase. In fact, just six starting favourites have prevailed in the last 20 race iterations (30.0%), while two of the previous four have pulled up.
However, 13 out of 20 favourites have placed in the top four overall. This may suit current favourite Majborough, who has placed in the top three in each of his seven chase outings and beat rival Marine Nationale by a staggering 19 lengths in the G1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at the beginning of February.
Another potential place bet is Nicky Henderson's Jonbon. Although the gelding is now 10 years old, he has finished in the top two in each of his 20 career chase outings, winning 14 of these races. He also prevailed in January's G1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot over a similar distance, defeating Thistle Ask by three lengths.
His starting price with Lunubet is also 15.00, while trainer Nicky Henderson has fielded five Champion Chase winners and seven placed finishers from just 13 runners since 2005.
3️⃣ Tip 3 – Pick Lossiemouth to Win Outright
There are two key trends to watch for when betting on the Champion Hurdle. Firstly, four mares have won the race in the last six years, with just three having achieved the same feat between 1927 and 2020. Mares also achieved a 1-2 finish in the 2022 iteration.
This run of success has much to do with the introduction of 5lb weight allowances for mares, which helped to create a more competitive landscape and greater incentives for trainers. This stipulation was initiated in the 1980s, with Dawn Run becoming just the second mare to prevail in 1984.
Then there's the recent success of the aforementioned trainer Willie Mullins. The Irish trainer has fielded 36 Champion Hurdle runners since 2005, recording five winners and 14 placed finishers during this period. Overall, 19 of his 36 runners (52.7%) have placed across the last 20 race iterations.
These trends highlight Lossiemouth as a potential winner or each-way pick. She has finished in the top two in 16 of her 17 hurdle outings during her career, while she won the G1 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle over a similar distance at last year's Cheltenham Festival. Lossiemouth is priced at 4.33 with Lunubet.
4️⃣ Tip 4 – Consider Jango Baie for the Win or Each-Way in the Ryanair Chase
There have been 21 Ryanair Chase iterations since the race's launch in 2005, with 17 winners having boasted at least one previous victory at Cheltenham.
Additionally, 10+ winners have posted at least one previous career start over the 2 miles and 4 1⁄2 furlongs distance. This trend factor has produced an LSP of +17.07 overall.
Both of these trends suit Nicky Henderson's seven-year-old gelding Jango Baie, who won the G1 Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase after a superb run at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. He also prevailed over the distance in the Ladbrokes 1965 Chase at Ascot last November, winning by nine lengths from Gidleigh Park.
Henderson's stable has already produced two Ryanair Chase winners, while seven of his 19 historic runners in the race have placed (36.8%). Jango Baie is currently priced at odds of 15.00 with Dachbet, creating value both as a winner or an each-way pick.
5️⃣ Tip 5 – Pick Teahupoo as an Outright Stayers Hurdle Winner
Seven horses have won two or more Stayers Hurdle renewals, and Bob Olinger will attempt to join this exclusive club at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Last year, he edged out Teahupoo by 1¾ lengths after a thrilling race, and the two will resume their rivalry on Thursday, March 12th.
However, Bob Olinger has now turned 11, and only four other runners aged 11 or older have won the Stayers Hurdle since the race's inception on March 13th, 1912. Conversely, the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding Teahupoo is aged just nine, while he has won each of his three G1 outings since last year's defeat.
This run includes a comprehensive win over Bob Olinger in the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown last December. He romped home by seven lengths over 2 miles 7 1⁄2 furlongs. Interestingly, 10+ Stayers Hurdle winners since 2005 have posted at least two places during the previous 180 days, and Teahupoo definitely ticks this box.
At odds of 2.63 at Dachbet, Teahupoo offers value here in the win market. However, seven out of eight Gordon Elliott runners have placed in the Stayers Hurdle during the last 20 iterations, so you could also back Teahupoo with an each-way wager.
| Race | Selection / Betting Market | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Gold Cup | Gaelic Warrior Each-Way | 7.50 |
| Cheltenham Champion Chase | Jonbon to Place | 15.00 |
| Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Lossiemouth to Win | 4.33 |
📊 Cheltenham Festival Predictions 2026
If you're interested in receiving the latest Cheltenham Festival betting tips and insights, you'll find everything you need below. Here, we'll publish the latest Cheltenham Festival predictions across the event's main races.
Best Cheltenham Betting Sites
Before you place your Cheltenham wagers, you'll need to identify the best Irish online bookmakers covering the event. Here's a summary of our recommended sites.
1️⃣ Dachbet: The Best Betting Site for The Cheltenham 2026
Dachbet is our pick as the number one Cheltenham Festival betting site. This site publishes early and competitive ante-post Cheltenham Festival odds across races such as the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Arkle Chase.
Outside of Cheltenham, Dachbet also provides extensive international race coverage. So, you can wager on meetings in Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.
During our Dachbet review, we found that the site is also offering a recurring 50% reload bonus up to €50. This requires a minimum deposit of €20, while the rollover requirement is capped at 5x your cash deposit.
The Dachbet welcome bonus also comprises a 100% first deposit match up to €200. Here's a summary of the bonus's key terms and conditions.
- Bonus: 100% up to €200
- Min Deposit: €10
- Min Odds Requirement: 1.80
- Bonus code: DACH200S
- Wagering Requirement: To cash out the bonus and the winnings accumulated, players will need to roll over the deposit + bonus amount 10 times.
- www.gambleaware.org
2️⃣ LegendPlay: The Best Site for Each-Way Betting
LegendPlay is also offering extensive coverage of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, especially if you're a fan of each-way betting. Here, each-way and place bets will pay out up to four places in races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, at odds of 1.20 on average.
This site also offers an Enhanced Odds feature, which is valid for single, multiple and system bets placed on the win market. This can unlock boosts of between 5% and 20% on qualifying Cheltenham races.
We also found a 100% acca boost during the course of our LegendPlay review. This is applied to all accumulators that feature 3+ legs and minimum betting line odds of 1.70. Your winning acca will have to include 21+ legs to unlock the maximum boost.
The LegendPlay welcome bonus includes a 100% first deposit match up to €250. The offer's unique terms and conditions are as follows:
- Bonus: 100% up to €250
- Min Deposit: €10
- Min Odds Requirement: 1.50
- Bonus code: N/A
- Wagering Requirement: Before claiming any winnings, you'll have to wager the deposit and bonus amount six times at odds of 2.00. You can wager at minimum odds of 1.50 per line when placing multi-bets or qualifying accas.
- www.gambleaware.org
3️⃣ Lunubet: The Best Site for Cheltenham Forecast Betting
Lunubet leads the way for forecast betting at the Cheltenham Festival. The site lets you pick runners to finish first and second in all 28 festival races, alongside competitive win and each-way bets. Place wagers generally pay out at odds of 1.25 too.
There's also a variety of bonuses available at Lunubet. These include an accumulator boost offer, with boosts ranging from 3% to 100% depending on the number of legs included. A winning three-leg acca will receive a 3% boost, while your acca must include 21 or more picks to realise the full value of the bonus.
Lunubet is also running a cashback bonus, which lets you recoup 10% of your qualifying losses up to €500 on a weekly basis. Cheltenham wagers are eligible to trigger the bonus, with no minimum odds restriction in play according to our Lunubet review.
The Lunubet welcome offer comprises a 100% first deposit match up to €200. Here's a summary of the bonus's qualifying terms and conditions.
- Bonus: 100% up to €200
- Min Deposit: €20
- Min Odds Requirement: 1.50 - 2.00
- Bonus code: N/A
- Wagering Requirement: This offer's wagering requirements are capped at six times the deposit and bonus amount. You must bet at odds of 1.50 or greater when placing qualifying multi-bets, or 2.00 when executing singles.
- www.gambleaware.org
🎁 Best Cheltenham Free Bets and Promotions
You can also optimise your Cheltenham betting experience by making the most of any available promotions and bonuses. Here's a summary of the leading free bets across Ireland and from our recommended horse racing bookies.
Terms and conditions apply. All terms can be found on each bookmaker's respective website.
📆 Cheltenham 2026 Races
You may observe several Cheltenham Festival betting market changes as the event draws closer. However, the schedule will remain largely unchanged, with 28 races set to take place across four days of high-octane action. This includes 14 Grade 1 events, culminating with the coveted Gold Cup on Friday, 13th March. Here's a summary of the overall schedule:
| Fixture/Meeting | Scheduled Date | The Key Races |
|---|---|---|
| Champion Day | Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 |
|
| Ladies Day | Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 |
|
| St Patrick's Thursday | Thursday, March 12th, 2026 |
|
| Gold Cup Day | Friday, March 13th, 2026 |
|
Note. Race start times are subject to change across all four Festival days
❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Betting on Cheltenham
What is the best Cheltenham Festival betting site?
Our detailed betting site reviews have revealed Dachbet to be the best brand ahead of the Cheltenham Festival. However, Lunubet, LegendPlay, and TonyBet Sports also come highly recommended for Irish bettors.
What is the biggest race at Cheltenham?
Of the 14 Grade 1 races hosted during the Cheltenham Festival, the Gold Cup is the biggest and most lucrative. In 2026, this race will feature a total prize fund well in excess of €625,000, with the eventual winner banking €351,687.50 on behalf of their owner.
What date is the Cheltenham Festival in 2026?
The Cheltenham Festival lasts for four days, and will run between Tuesday, March 10th and Friday, March 13th in 2026. The Gold Cup will take place on the final day of the festival, with the runners expected to come under starters' orders at 16:00.
When can I place a bet on the Cheltenham Festival?
Our recommended Cheltenham festival betting sites have already started publishing ante-post odds ahead of the 2026 meeting. So, you can already start to place wagers on the highest profile races, while researching our picks using form analysis, historical data, and reputable Cheltenham Festival supercomputer predictions.
What is the best bet type for Cheltenham?
Win, place, and each-way bets unlock the best value at Cheltenham, both from the perspective of odds and implied probability values. More exotic wager types are also available, including accumulators that require you to pick the winners of two or more races. You can even place Cheltenham Festival forecast bets with sites like Lunubet.
What are the Best Resources for Researching Cheltenham Bets?
The Racing Post is home to detailed form statistics for all Cheltenham runners. Time Form also includes key information about the Cheltenham Racecourse and the best-performing trainers and jockeys over time. You can also use our own Cheltenham Festival prediction content to help inform your selections.
Lewis Humphries
A business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and remote casino betting. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands. His content has also been featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.