2026 Cheltenham Festival Odds & Betting Markets

Find the latest Cheltenham Festival betting odds below for 2026. Get betting markets on all 28 races of the event with bet boosts available on the day.

Cheltenham Festival - NRNB

Browse the Latest Cheltenham Festival Odds

Ready to feel the ‘Cheltenham roar’? Check out our ante-post Cheltenham Festival odds across all the biggest races ahead of the world-renowned four-day jump racing festival. 

Cheltenham Festival: Bet on the ‘World Cup of Jump Racing’

The Cheltenham Festival is the premier National Hunt event on the British horseracing calendar. The eyes of the horseracing world are fixed on this corner of Gloucestershire for four days every March as the world’s finest steeplechasers and hurdlers battle across 28 races. The festival attracts race prize money second only to Aintree’s Grand National meetings. In 2026, the Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday, 10th March, to Friday, 13th March.

At Parimatch, we offer Cheltenham Festival odds for every single race, with ante-post markets up and running in plenty of time for you to find great value selections. As the clock ticks down to the festival and race entries are confirmed, we also offer other markets where you can bet to win outright or each way.  Whatever your betting preferences, Parimatch gets the job done each time the Cheltenham Festival rolls around. 

The Biggest Races at the Cheltenham Festival 

All 28 races scheduled for the Cheltenham Festival carry their own importance in the eyes of trainers, jockeys and connections alike. However, there’s one feature race per day that captures the imagination of punters and experts: 

Champion Hurdle 

This is the pinnacle of National Hunt hurdle races. The Grade 1, two-mile, 87-yard race is open to thoroughbreds aged four and up.  

It also happens to be the third and final leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling, with the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park as the first and second legs, respectively.  

The Champion Hurdle was first raced in 1927, with Blaris etched into the event’s folklore as the inaugural winner. In 2024, the prize purse for the Champion Hurdle had reached an impressive £450,000. Some of the finest hurdlers in the history of horse racing have won this race, namely Istabraq, National Spirit and Hatton’s Grace. 

25/1 shot Golden Ace became only the seventh mare to win the Champion Hurdle in 2025, a shock that few saw coming in the lead-up to the race. Previous winners Constitution Hill and State Man both fell, paving the way for Golden Ace under Lorcan Williams, which handed Jeremy Scott a memorable win. 

You can back Golden Ace at 16/1* to triumph again in 2026, while Sir Gino is the ante-post favourite at 6/4*. 

Queen Mother Champion Chase 

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is the newest of the four feature races at the Cheltenham Festival, established in 1959. Originally known as the Champion Chase, the Queen Mother prefix was introduced from 1980 onwards. 

This race has become one of the headline races on the calendar for minimum-distance steeplechasers. Badsworth Boy shot to stardom by winning three successive Champion Chases between 1983 and 1985. Trainer Tom Dreaper used to have a monopoly in this race through the 1960s, but, more recently, the likes of Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have enjoyed similar dominance.

Marine Nationale under Sean Flanagan romped home in the 2025 Queen Mother Champion Chase. Overwhelming pre-race favourite Jonbon made a crucial mistake at the ninth fence, leaving Marine Nationale to soar beyond Quilixos to win the Champion Chase two years after his triumph in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.  

Marine Nationale is the joint favourite to win again in 2026, alongside Il Etait Temps, priced at 5/2*. 

Stayers’ Hurdle 

The Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle is the oldest feature race at the Cheltenham Festival. Established in 1912, the race was originally run over three miles at Prestbury Park. Today, it’s raced over two miles, seven furlongs, and 213 yards, with a dozen hurdles dotted along the course. The event is open to thoroughbreds aged four and up. 

This race is firmly established as the number-one hurdles race for stayers. Big Bucks is the most successful thoroughbred in this race, landing four wins back-to-back between 2009 and 2012.

Ten-year-old Bob Olinger, one of the oldest horses at the festival, won the 2025 Stayers’ Hurdle under the impressive Rachael Blackmore. He held off the much-fancied reigning champion Teahupoo in a memorable finish.  

Teahupoo is once again the favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at 7/4*, while Bob Olinger returns for perhaps his final race and is available at 7/1*. 

Cheltenham Gold Cup 

For many racegoers and bettors, the Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the Cheltenham Festival. It carries the biggest prize purse of £625,000 and is raced over three miles, two-and-a-half furlongs and a gruelling 22 fences. Many within the sport have described the Gold Cup as the “Blue Riband” of jump racing, with some of the finest chasers prevailing in this race, namely Arkle, Best Mate, Kauto Star and Denman. 

In 2022, Rachael Blackmore made history as the first female jockey to win a Gold Cup with A Plus Tard. Golden Miller is still the most successful horse in Gold Cup history, winning five back-to-back between 1932 and 1936.

15/2 chance Inothewayurthinkin won the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, denying Galopin Des Champs a famous hat-trick. It was a remarkable finish for Gavin Cromwell, who watched on as his charge powered up the hill to beat the two-time champion by six lengths.  

Galopin Des Champs is heavily fancied to win his third Gold Cup in 2026 and is the ante-post favourite at 5/1*. If you think Inothewayurthinkin can go back to back, you can get him at 11/2* at Parimatch. 

*Odds correct at the time of writing.

How to Bet on the Cheltenham Festival

Scroll to the top of this page to see the latest Cheltenham Festival odds for all major races this year. You can back any horse to win, or place an each-way wager to receive a payout if your horse places. 

If you’re planning an exotic bet on this year’s Cheltenham Festival, use our bet calculator to determine how much you can potentially make from your selections.  

If you’re unsure which horse to back, purchase one of our lucky dips before sitting back and watching the action unfold. 

What to consider: Betting on Cheltenham Festival? 

Now you’re aware of the biggest races, here are some tips to consider before betting on the Cheltenham Festival at Parimatch: 

  • Set yourself a daily budget: This way, you can choose to split your budget up into several bets across the meeting or commit it all to one horse you’re especially confident about. It also prevents you from staking too much or chasing losses. 
  • Short-price favourites aren’t always a sure-fire winner: Pre-race favourites can and frequently do get beaten at the Cheltenham Festival. The calibre of entrants is exceptionally high, with only the cream of the crop entered here. 
  • Do your own research: Listen to the experts, but make sure you ring-fence some time to check the form yourself to validate any external tips or suggestions. 
  • Don’t discount hot prospects from lesser-known yards: The likes of Corach Rambler, Global Citizen and Chambard have all won at Cheltenham, despite being trained by smaller stables. 
  • Always keep tabs on our sportsbook bonus page: In the lead-up to the Cheltenham Festival, you might be able to get free bets or risk-free offers to bolster your betting bank.

Open a Parimatch account for Cheltenham Festival

It’s quick and easy to create a Parimatch account so that you’re ready to begin your research and selections for any of the 28 races staged throughout the iconic Cheltenham Festival. We’ve even put together welcome bonuses for first-time customers, giving you more bang for your buck at the perfect time. 

Before you submit that first bet slip with us, please take some time to familiarise yourself with our Safer Gambling Portal. This is our all-important hub explaining all the responsible gambling tools at your fingertips to help you stay in control of your horse racing betting

*Odds correct at the time of writing.

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