The Cheltenham Festival offers plenty of ways to get involved with the racing. From simple win bets to in‑play options, there’s something for everyone. Whether you prefer favourites or outsiders.

Below, you’ll find a simple explanation of each bet type, followed by a comparison table to help you review the key points at a glance.

Daily Racing Specials

Daily Racing Specials let you bet on whether a certain number of the day’s favourites will win at one track or how many winners a jockey or trainer will have that day.

Why this option works well:

Helps you follow the full day’s racing
Easy to understand

Lengthen the Odds

Lengthen the Odds by backing a horse to win by a specific distance.

Key points:

Harder to predict → higher odds
Only pays if the horse wins by the chosen distance

Each‑Way Bet Terms

An each-way bet has two parts:

Win: Pays if your horse finishes 1st
Place: Pays if your horse finishes in the paid positions (usually top 2, 3, or 4) - depending on the number of runners

Why this is a popular choice:

Helps reduce risk
You may still receive a return even if your horse doesn’t win
Always check the place terms, as they can vary by race

Ante‑Post Betting

Ante-post bets are placed days or weeks before race day.

Pros:

Back your fancy early and follow its journey all the way to post time

Considerations:

If the horse does not run, your stake is lost
Best for when you're confident in your selection

In‑Play Horse Racing Bets

In‑play betting lets you place bets after the race has started.

Why this is a popular choice:

You can react to the live action
Allows you to make decisions based on how the race unfolds

Important notes:

Best Odds Guaranteed does not apply
Betting is suspended at key moments (race start, final fence)

Bet Type summary table

Here’s a quick summary table that brings all the bet types together in one place.

Bet Type	What It Is (simple + key words)	Why Choose It	Key Notes
Daily Racing Specials	Bet on favourites, jockey wins, or trainer wins across the day	Helps follow multiple races or specific performance trends	Markets may vary day‑to‑day
Lengthen the Odds	Bet on a horse to win by a specific distance	Provides an alternative win option	Selection must win by the chosen distance
Each‑Way Bet	A Win bet + a Place bet combined	Offers a broader outcome range	Place terms vary by race; check before betting
Ante‑Post	Bet placed well before race day	Option to support a selection early	Stake is lost if the horse does not run
In‑Play Bets	Bets placed after the race has started	Allows betting based on live race developments	No BOG; markets may be suspended

Settlement terms

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies when a horse is withdrawn late and the market hasn’t had time to adjust.

What this means:

A deduction is taken from any winnings
Shorter odds on the withdrawn horse → larger deduction
Applied automatically when the bet settles
Does not apply to Ante‑Post bets

Dead Heat

A dead heat occurs when two or more horses finish tied.

How pay-outs work:

Winnings are shared proportionally
Your stake may be divided based on the number of tied horses

How to place each type of bet

Here’s a simple guide to help you place each type of Cheltenham bet. The steps below follow the same flow you will see on the site.

Daily Racing Specials

Open Today’s Racing or the Specials tab.
Choose the special you want to follow (for example, favourites winning or jockey wins).
Add your stake and place your bet.

Note: Specials may vary each day and depend on availability.

Lengthen the Odds

Open the full race page → Today's races.
Here you'll see the normal list of runners, however, by using the switch button, you can enable Lengthen The Odds feature.
Click the drop-down menu button below every selection and choose the winning distance.
Now you've chosen your winning distance, click 'Bet To Win By x Lengths Or More.' Then it will be added to your betslip.
Enter your stake and place your bet.