The Ultimate Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide

Betting on Cheltenham is back for another year and 2025 could be one of the biggest festivals of all time. All eyes are on Galopin Des Champs and whether he can win a hat-trick of Gold Cups.

Not since Best Mate in the early 2000s has a horse delivered three Gold Cups on the bounce and rumbled the bookies. Of course, there’s more to Cheltenham than just the Gold Cup!

Interest in the races has exploded in recent years as new bettors become more and more familiar with how horse racing works. There’s really no event quite like Cheltenham Festival for chasing those big bets and cashing out on high-paying accas at just the right time.

Paddy Power’s ultimate Cheltenham Festival betting guide takes you through everything you need to know about the event. From the big races to look for each day, to smart racing tips, our aim is to maximise your knowledge ahead of the festival.

So, let’s get started!

When is Cheltenham 2025?

Cheltenham 2025 takes place between 11 and 14 March. It all begins with Champion Day on the Tuesday, when the Champion Hurdle is run. The festival proceeds until Friday – Gold Cup Day – when all attention focuses on the Gold Cup and, this year, Galopin Des Champs.

See our Cheltenham 2025 dates guide for a full breakdown of what to expect at this year’s festival!

What are the days at Cheltenham?

Each day at Cheltenham has its own name and correlates to the biggest races taking part that day. Millions of bets are made each day at Cheltenham, and you can follow all the action right here at Paddy Power.

It’s worth knowing what’s going on each day so you can plan your bets. Below are the dates and races to bookmark.

Day 1 – Champion Day | Tuesday 11 March

Champion Day is the one horse racing betting fans love the most because it’s here that we see present and future champions clash on the course. It’s also one of the biggest days in the horse racing calendar, as everyone focuses on Cheltenham. It all begins with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Arkle, which sets us up for betting on the Champion Hurdle start.

Biggest Race: Champion Hurdle (16:00)

Champion Hurdle tip 2025: Ruby Walsh backs Constitution Hill at 8/13

Day 2 – Ladies Day | Wednesday 12 March

Also known as Style Wednesday, Ladies Day is the most glamorous day of the festival. The racing almost takes a back seat, although don’t tell the jockeys and trainers that! The Queen Mother Champion Chase headlines Ladies Day and is a steady two-mile run over fences that is often used as a springboard for horses seeking to compete in the Gold Cup the following year.

Biggest Race: Queen Mother Champion Chase (16:00)

Champion Chase tip 2025: Rory Delargy backs Matata each way at 25/1

Day 3 – St Patrick’s Day | Thursday 13 March

Thursday at Cheltenham is always a crazy affair. The St Patrick’s Day celebrations start early and the Irish tend to dominate races – although 2024 proved a big year for British trainers. The Festival Trophy is always a race to keep an eye on, but the big draw is the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. The favourite has won this event just three times since 2004.

Biggest Race: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (16:00)

Stayers’ Hurdle tip 2025: Ruby Walsh backs Teahupoo at 11/10

Day 4 – Gold Cup Day | Friday 14 March

All the attention on Friday at Cheltenham focuses on Gold Cup day. However, bettors should keep an eye on the Triumph Hurdle for a display of elite-level jumps racing. The Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase is not to be missed either! Of course, all eyes are on the Gold Cup and the ante-post markets are already open on who will win this year.

Galopin Des Champs is attracting a lot of bets already but there’s a big ante post field here, with the likes of Fact To File, Banbridge and Corbett Cross all looking in contention.

Biggest Race: Gold Cup (16:00)

Cheltenham TV details

ITV and Racing TV will once again share the broadcast rights for Cheltenham Festival in 2025. The good news is that ITV will show an extra race this year, compared to previous years.

The terrestrial broadcaster has had the rights to show five of the seven daily Cheltenham races since 2016. Now they can show six, meaning the last race each day is only available on TV if you have a Racing TV subscription.

Regular horse racing betting fans should note that the headline race for each day (such as Friday’s Gold Cup) has moved from its previous time to 15:30 to a new start time of 16:00.

Cheltenham live stream races

Of course, you can live stream Cheltenham at Paddy Power, Racing TV and the ITVX app. Paddy Power offers extensive streams on all Cheltenham races. All you need to do is sign up and click on your chosen race online, or download the Paddy Power app.

Paddy’s Cheltenham streams are open to all active account holders who have placed a bet on the race in question. Streams begin around two minutes before the race start time.

What to spot when betting on Cheltenham

If you’re betting on Cheltenham for the first time then it’s worth doing some extra research so you can make smarter choices. Cheltenham bets are released early via the ante post markets, so you can start planning weeks and months ahead.

There’s nothing more frustrating than rushing a bet only for it to lose. Research is key and Paddy Power have plenty of experts to help you find the right bet. Here are four things to look out for before you bet on Cheltenham this spring:

Extra places – Look for Paddy’s extra places that cover more finishing positions when you’re betting each way. We provide extra places on at least one race a day. This is the perfect add-on if you’re confident your EW bet will come good.

Power Prices – Paddy also offers horse racing Power Prices on selected horses during each day of Cheltenham. These are odds boosts that can help you turn a bigger profit, so long as the horse wins of course!

Top trainers – Horse racing’s big trainers dominate Cheltenham. If you’re stuck on who to back then look for names like Willie Mullins, Henry de Bromhead, Paul Nichols and Nicky Henderson.

The going – Check out the going and look at the Paddy Power racecard to see which horses struggle and which thrive on the current track conditions. If the ground is soft and a horse perpetually fails to win when it’s raining then they’re not worth backing.

Quick Cheltenham Tips

If you’re new to the Cheltenham Festival and aren’t sure where to begin then these horse racing betting tips are a good starting point:

Create multiples – If you’ve already picked your winners ahead of each day at Cheltenham then you may consider creating multiple bets. This is where you lump all your selections into one mega bet. If all selections win, you win at a much higher profit level than if you bet on each race individually. The rationale is that you were going to bet on the horses anyway, so a multiple of horse racing acca makes sense!

Roll over your winnings – Another option is to bet individually on each race and roll over any winnings into the next race. It’s a risky strategy but is preferred by many punters because the final payout – if you win – can be enormous.

Don’t rush – Never rush into a bet. There are 28 races over four days at Cheltenham Festival so you have plenty of time to bet on the horses. Take your time, study the form and stats, and read our horse racing tips ahead of each run. Only when you’re happy with your choice and your stake should you proceed to placing the bet.

Track the odds – We always recommend keeping an eye on the race odds in the minutes leading up to the start. Horses can drift and come in, depending on the volume of bets being placed on them. There’s almost always one market mover. If a horse’s odds drift then perhaps there’s a problem with it. Likewise, if a horse’s odds suddenly narrow then maybe punters know something you don’t. Keep an eye on the moving odds and time your bets to perfection in order to nail the best price.

Lock in value early – You can bet on the Cheltenham ante post odds at Paddy Power and lock in an early price at much better value compared to race day. That’s because there’s always a risk the horse you back won’t run. With ante post bets, you don’t get refunded if the horse withdraws. However, if you’re confident the horse will run – such as Galopin Des Champs in the 2025 Gold Cup – then you can snag a far better price when backing your selection weeks before the race.