The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest week in jump racing and the most important betting event of the year for many Irish punters. The 2027 festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March at Cheltenham, with 28 races over four days. This Cheltenham Festival betting guide explains the days and feature races, the main betting markets, how ante-post and each-way betting work with euro examples, and what to check before you bet. It is a guide to how betting works, not a tipping service, and there are no sure winners in racing.
- The 2027 festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March, with seven races a day and 28 in total, as published by the Jockey Club.
- Feature races: Champion Hurdle (Tuesday), Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday), Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase (Thursday) and the Gold Cup (Friday).
- Ante-post bets can be placed months ahead at bigger prices, but in most cases you lose your stake if the horse does not run.
- Ireland won the Prestbury Cup in 2026, 15 winners to 13, after a 20 to 8 win in 2025.
What are the Cheltenham Festival 2027 dates and feature races?
The festival has four days, each with its own character. Gates open at 10.30 each day, the first race is at 1.20pm and the last at 5.20pm, though timings can change. The table lists the feature race on each day with the distance as published by the Jockey Club. Sponsors change from year to year, so we use the main race names.
| Day | Feature race | Distance and type |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 16 March (Champion Day) | Champion Hurdle, with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Arkle earlier on the card | About 2 miles and a half-furlong, hurdle, Grade 1 |
| Wednesday 17 March (Ladies Day) | Queen Mother Champion Chase, with the Cross Country Chase and the Champion Bumper | About 2 miles, steeplechase, Grade 1 |
| Thursday 18 March (St Patrick’s Thursday) | Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase, with the Pertemps Final and Kim Muir | About 3 miles hurdle, and 2 miles 4½ furlongs chase, both Grade 1 |
| Friday 19 March (Gold Cup Day) | Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the Triumph Hurdle, County Hurdle and Albert Bartlett | About 3 miles 2½ furlongs, steeplechase, Grade 1 |
Dates, times and race names are as published by the Jockey Club, so check the card before you bet. Thursday is called St Patrick’s Thursday because it falls in the week of St Patrick’s Day and attracts a big Irish crowd.
Why Cheltenham matters to Irish punters
Irish-trained horses have dominated the Prestbury Cup, the unofficial contest between Irish and British trainers. In 2025 Irish trainers won it with 20 winners to 8. In 2026 Ireland retained the cup with 15 winners to 13, according to the Jockey Club. Henry de Bromhead had 27 festival wins at that point, and Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are the other trainers that Irish punters follow closely. Markets on which country will have more winners are among the most popular festival specials.
What are the main Cheltenham betting markets?
Race winner
The core market. You can bet ante-post, weeks or months in advance, or on the day, at the show price or at starting price. In Irish bookmaker shops and on apps you will often see the same horse priced differently from site to site, so compare before you bet.
Each-way
An each-way bet is two equal bets, one on the horse to win and one on it to finish in the places. The place part pays a fraction of the win odds. Cheltenham handicaps with big fields often have extra places and a bigger fraction, but terms vary by bookmaker and race. Here is a euro example. You back a horse at 10/1 for €5 each-way, which costs €10, with a place fraction of a quarter and four places:
- If it wins: the win part pays €50 profit and the place part pays €12.50 profit (a quarter of 10/1 is 2.5/1), so you get back €72.50 including your €10 stakes.
- If it places but does not win: you lose the €5 win stake and the place part returns €17.50 (€12.50 profit plus the €5 stake), so you are €7.50 up overall.
- If it finishes unplaced: you lose the full €10.
Use the each-way calculator to check your own selections, and read each-way betting and best odds rules explained for the terms.
Leading trainer, leading jockey and Irish v British
Markets on who will train or ride the most winners across the four days, and on whether Ireland or Britain will have more winners. These run for the whole festival, so a bet can be live from the first race to the last.
Multiples and specials
Doubles, trebles and accumulators across the four days are popular, along with bookmaker specials. Remember that each extra leg increases the chance that the bet loses. Our bet types guide explains how they work, and the bet calculator and Lucky 15 calculator show returns before you place a bet.
What is ante-post betting and what are the risks?
Ante-post bets are placed days, weeks or months before a race, often at bigger prices than you will get on the day. The risk is that in most ante-post markets your stake is lost if your horse does not run. A horse can be ruled out by injury, bad ground or a change of plan, and many festival favourites never reach the start. Ante-post prices are also easier to get wrong because the field, the weights and the going are still unknown.
Some bookmakers offer non-runner no bet (NRNB) on selected races closer to the festival. That means your stake is returned if the horse is withdrawn. NRNB prices are usually shorter than ante-post prices, so you pay for the protection. Check exactly when NRNB starts and which races it covers.
Rule 4 and non-runners on the day
If a horse is withdrawn after you place a bet on another runner, a Rule 4 deduction may be taken from your winnings. The deduction depends on the price of the withdrawn horse. For example, using a commonly published scale, a horse withdrawn at 3/1 can mean a 25 cent deduction in the euro. If your €10 bet at 10/1 wins, the €100 profit is cut by 25 per cent to €75, so you receive €85 including your stake. Horse Racing Ireland says total deductions on a race cannot exceed 75 cent in the euro, and a horse priced over 14/1 does not trigger one. See the horse racing section of our horse racing betting guide for more.
How do you research a Cheltenham race?
- The going. Ground at Cheltenham can change across the four days, and some horses are much better on soft or heavy ground than on good.
- Course and distance form. Cheltenham is a testing track with an uphill finish, and many horses fail to stay the trip or handle the course. Look at how a horse has run at Cheltenham and over the distance before.
- Trainer and jockey form. Check which yards are in form, and whether a horse is stepping up in class.
- Pace and field size. Handicaps can have very big fields and are hard to predict, so smaller stakes, each-way bets and extra places are common approaches.
- Bookmaker terms. Look at extra places, best odds guaranteed rules, NRNB cut-offs and any festival offers.
Tips are opinions. Favourites lose often, and the bookmaker builds a margin into every market, so over time betting is more likely to cost you money than to make it.
Cheltenham free bets and offers
Bookmakers run offers around the festival, such as free bets, extra places and enhanced prices. We do not list live offers because terms change quickly. Before you claim one, read our guide to free bets in Ireland, check the stake-not-returned rule and the expiry date, and compare it with the price you are getting.
Where can you bet on Cheltenham in Ireland?
Use a bookmaker that is licensed for Irish customers. See our betting sites in Ireland, the betting apps comparison and our guide on how to check a bookmaker is licensed. New to betting? Start with how to place a bet.
Bet responsibly during the festival
Big race weeks encourage bigger stakes, more bets and longer sessions than a normal card. Set a budget before you start, decide your maximum loss for each day and stick to it. Do not chase losses, do not bet to unlock an offer, and never use money that you need for bills. Most bookmakers licensed for Irish customers offer deposit limits and time-outs, and you should set them before the first race. If betting stops being fun, GamblingCare.ie offers free, confidential help on 1800 936 725, 24 hours a day. Read more on our responsible gambling page. You must be 18 or over to bet in Ireland.
Cheltenham form often starts in Dublin. See our guide to Leopardstown racecourse, home of the Dublin Racing Festival, and our Irish horse racing hub.
Related guides
- Horse racing betting guide for Irish punters
- Grand National betting guide
- Punchestown Festival betting guide
- How betting odds work
- Odds converter
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 Cheltenham Festival?
The festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027, with seven races a day, 28 in total.
What are the feature races each day?
The Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Wednesday, the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
What is ante-post betting?
A bet placed well before the race, often at bigger prices. In most ante-post markets you lose your stake if the horse does not run, so check the rules and whether non-runner no bet applies.
What is the Prestbury Cup?
The contest between Irish-trained and British-trained winners at the festival. Ireland won it in 2025 with 20 winners to 8 and in 2026 with 15 to 13.
Are Cheltenham tips reliable?
No. Racing is unpredictable, favourites lose often and no tip is a guarantee. Treat tips as opinion and bet only what you can afford to lose.
How does each-way betting work at Cheltenham?
You place two equal bets, one for the horse to win and one for it to place. The place part pays a fraction of the odds, and big handicaps often have extra places. Terms vary by bookmaker.
Sources and further reading
- The Jockey Club: Cheltenham Festival event schedule – dates, race times and distances
- The Jockey Club: the Prestbury Cup – how the Irish v British contest works
- The Jockey Club: 2026 Prestbury Cup result – Ireland 15, United Kingdom 13
- Horse Racing Ireland: bookmaker information – Tattersalls Rule 4 deductions
- GamblingCare.ie – free, confidential support
18+. Please play responsibly, gamblingcare.ie. This guide is independent editorial opinion; it is not a guarantee, endorsement or financial advice, and PunterIreland may earn a commission if you join an operator through our links.
Last updated 10 October 2026. Written and checked by the Punter Ireland editorial team. Offers, odds and rules change, so always check the operator’s own terms and the official sources above.
