Cheltenham Racecourse is the crown jewel in UK jump racing, famed worldwide for the four-day Cheltenham Festival held annually in March.
The Festival is the premier national hunt racing event, but Cheltenham also hosts several other meetings annually, and we take a closer look at what is on offer at Prestbury Park throughout the year.
Cheltenham Tips for Today
Thursday sees Day Two of the April Meeting at Cheltenham, and our top tipping team of Alan Kelly and Charlie McCann have the action covered with their free Cheltenham tips, including Charlie’s Nap of the Day selection - click on their links below for full details!
Cheltenham Racecourse Betting Tips
Our top tipsters are no strangers to picking winners at Cheltenham, so check out Alan Kelly’s racing tips and Charlie McCann’s free tips for fully researched Cheltenham tips over the coming months.
Below, we’ve highlighted two important betting angles to remember when placing a bet at Cheltenham.
Stamina is vital
Whether on over hurdles or fences, you need a horse that has the stamina to see out its race and that travels strongly throughout so they can be best placed when turning for home.
Jumping is the name of the game
The fences at Cheltenham are some of the most challenging in the UK, providing a tough test for horses. Look for horses that have won around other tough jumping courses like Newcastle and Hexham
Top Cheltenham Jockeys
As you would expect, Paul Townend has a strong strike rate at Cheltenham, operating at over 30% for the last three seasons in chase races.
Other jockeys to watch out for include James Bowen in hurdles races with a 28% strike rate, while Bradley Gibbs is the man to follow in the hunter chases, with an excellent 40% strike rate.
Top Cheltenham Trainers
Willie Mullins is the trainer that many punters follow at Cheltenham, but his strike rate isn’t as good as expected - diluted due to the number of horses he runs at the track over the season.
If you’re looking for some betting value, check out any of Gavin Cromwell’s runners over hurdles - they have an almost 30% strike rate.
Cheltenham Free Bets & Betting Offers
As you would expect, there is no shortage of betting offers and promotions when Cheltenham rolls around.
Bookmakers take things to another level during the Cheltenham Festival, traditionally one of the betting industry’s busiest weeks of the year.
Paddy Power is a high-profile sponsor of several races at Cheltenham over the season, so they are always well worth checking out for Cheltenham betting odds and Cheltenham free bet offers.
The Cheltenham Festival always sees huge Tote pools as punters look to land a tasty Jackpot or Placepot, so make sure to get involved via The Tote, who have an excellent welcome bonus for all new customers.
Cheltenham Racecourse Layout & Info
Cheltenham has three separate racecourses - the Old Course, the New Course, and the Cross Country Course.
The Old and New Courses run alongside each other, with the Cross Country Course in the middle.
The Old Course is used for The Showcase Meeting, The November Meeting, and the first two days of the Cheltenham Festival.
The New Course is used for the Christmas Meeting, New Year’s Day, Festival Trials Day, the final two days of the Cheltenham Festival, and the April and May meetings.
The New Course is known for its tricky downhill fence and longer run-in for chase races than the Old Course. Another feature of the New Course is that hurdle races over two miles tend to have most of the hurdles in the early stages, with only two jumped in the final seven furlongs.
Cheltenham 2023/24 Season Schedule
Below, we examine each race meeting due to be held at Cheltenham over the coming months.
The Showcase Meeting (Friday, October 27 - Saturday, October 28)
The curtain raiser for the new season at Cheltenham, The Showcase Meeting, is eagerly anticipated by all involved in jump racing. With 14 races over the two days, there’s plenty of action for punters to enjoy, including the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle.
The November Meeting (Friday, November 17 - Sunday, November 19)
As we head into winter, The November Meeting at Cheltenham is a real highlight with three days of exciting action, including the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the Greatwood Hurdle.
The Christmas Meeting (Friday, December 15 - Saturday, December 16)
Christmas comes early for jump racing fans, with The Christmas Meeting in mid-December, featuring several key trial races for the Cheltenham Festival.
New Year’s Day Racing (Monday, January 1)
The perfect start to the New Year sees a highly competitive and popular card at Cheltenham that includes two Grade 2 races - the Relkeel Hurdle and the Dipper Novices’ Chase.
Festival Trials Day (Saturday, January 27)
Festival Trials Day is the final chance for horses to test themselves around Cheltenham before the Festival, and every race on the card is a trial race for the Cheltenham Festival, offering plenty of betting clues.
The Cheltenham Festival (Tuesday, March 12 - Friday, March 15)
The big one - the pinnacle of jump racing in the UK - the Cheltenham Festival.
Four days of frenetic action, including the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champions Chase, the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The April Meeting (Wednesday, April 17 - Thursday, April 18)
With Spring in the air, The April Meeting at Cheltenham is popular with racing fans of all ages. The feature race of the two-day meeting is the Grade 2 Silver Trophy Handicap Chase, which was won on three occasions by Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh.
Hunter Chase Race Night (Friday, May 3)
Cheltenham’s traditional season finale is their Hunter Chase evening, restricted to amateur trainers and jockeys with seven Hunter Chases scheduled.
Cheltenham Top Featured Races
As the premier jump racing track in the UK, Cheltenham hosts several top-quality races throughout the season, including, of course, during the Cheltenham Festival.
Below are the feature races held at Cheltenham Racecourse annually.
| Race | Grade | Distance | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dipper Novices’ Chase | Grade 2 | 2 miles 5 furlongs | Chase | January |
| Relkeel Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 4 furlongs | Hurdle | January |
| Finesse Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 1 furlong | Hurdle | January |
| Cotswold Chase | Grade 2 | 3 miles 1 furlong | Chase | January |
| Cleeve Hurdle | Grade 2 | 3 miles | Hurdle | January |
| Classic Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 4 furlongs | Hurdle | January |
| Supreme Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2 miles | Hurdle | March |
| Arkle Challenge Trophy | Grade 1 | 2 miles | Chase | March |
| Champion Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2 miles | Hurdle | March |
| National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Grade 2 | 3 miles 6 furlongs | Chase | March |
| Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 4 furlongs | Hurdle | March |
| Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2 miles 5 furlongs | Hurdle | March |
| Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 3 miles | Chase | March |
| Queen Mother Champion Chase | Grade 1 | 2 miles | Chase | March |
| Champion Bumper | Grade 1 | 2 miles | NH Flat | March |
| Turners Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 2 miles 4 furlongs | Chase | March |
| Ryanair Chase | Grade 1 | 2 miles 5 furlongs | Chase | March |
| Stayers’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3 miles | Hurdle | March |
| Triumph Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2 miles | Hurdle | March |
| Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3 miles | Hurdle | March |
| Cheltenham Gold Cup | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 furlongs | Chase | March |
| Silver Trophy Handicap Chase | Grade 2 | 2 miles 5 furlongs | Chase | April |
| Sharp Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles | Hurdle | October |
| Hyde Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 5 furlongs | Hurdle | November |
| Prestbury Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles | Hurdle | November |
| November Novices’ Chase | Grade 2 | 2 miles | Chase | November |
| Bristol Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 2 | 3 miles | Hurdle | December |
| International Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2 miles 1 furlong | Hurdle | December |
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