Cheltenham Betting: Your Guide to the Spectacular 2024 Event

In British and Irish horse racing, there is little that compares to the Cheltenham Festival. Even blue-chip events like the Grand National, Royal Ascot, and the Epsom Derby fail to get as much coverage as the four-day event in mid-March. The Cheltenham Festival was once seen as the upstart to these established and historic events, but now there is nothing bigger in horse racing than Cheltenham.

The 2024 event will take place from March 12th to 15th. It is, of course, one of the biggest betting events in the UK sports calendar. But what are the markets saying about this year’s event? What are the big stories in the lead-up to the event? And where should your money be going? Let’s break it all down in this handy guide.

Cheltenham ante-post betting

The first thing to note is that the 2024 Cheltenham betting markets are now live, with top bookmakers offering NRNB on all 28 races. This means you will get your money back should your horse be scratched from the race between now and March. In truth, the ante-post markets run all year as punters try to get some value in the long term, but having NRNB added is an extra level of insurance in case your horse gets injured in the coming weeks or the horse’s trainer decides to choose another race.

The feature races

Cheltenham has 28 races, with seven held on each day. But each of those have a feature race: The Champion Hurdle (Tuesday 12th), Champion Chase (Wednesday 13th), Stayers’ Hurdle (Thursday 14th), and Gold Cup (Friday 15th). The latter is considered the most prestigious race of the Festival.

The big names

Aside from the Gold Cup contenders (see below), everyone is talking about the brilliant Constitution Hill. The unbeaten 7yo is a red-hot favorite for the Champion Hurdle, which he won last year. He looks unbeatable, but there is perhaps a tiny bit of hope for rivals as Constitution Hill has a slight injury doubt at the time of writing. Still, he should be fit and firing by the time the Festival rolls around.

The Gold Cup

As mentioned, there is no bigger race at Cheltenham than Friday’s showcase. The long-distance chase is a grueling battle, and it takes a special horse to win it. Galopin des Champs, this year’s favorite and last year’s winner, made it look easy in 2023, and his even-money odds look tempting. However, he has had off days in the past, and you need to be at your best to win a Gold Cup. Others, like Fastorslow, Shishkin, and Gerri Colombe, will be ready to pounce should Galopin des Champs not be at his best.

The Irish question

The overarching narrative of Cheltenham in the 2020s has been the supreme domination by Irish trainers over their British counterparts. Sure, there have been individual British successes, not least by Nicky Henderson. But the general trend has been to the men and women from the Emerald Isle. There are betting markets for leading trainer, which Irish trainer Willie Mullins is leading, and whether the British or Irish will win most races. The question, however, is how badly the British trainers will be beaten.

Beyond the big races

Cheltenham has 28 races, and every one of them is important. Some of the novice chases and hurdles will show us the stars of tomorrow, but you can also bet on some of the huge handicaps and flat races across the four days. The Festival has a bit of everything, and 2024 looks like it will be a vintage year at the greatest jumps racing event on the British sports calendar.