There’s no event in jump racing quite like the Cheltenham Festival. The roar of the crowd at the start of the first race is legendary—the so-called “Cheltenham Roar”—and it sets the tone for four thrilling days of top-class National Hunt racing. We at AiProfit have been looking forward to this festival all year. It’s a great opportunity to take advantage of the avalanche of bookmaker promotions that typically accompany this pinnacle of UK racing.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through every essential aspect of Cheltenham, from horse racing terminology and key races to advanced matched betting strategies. We’ll also introduce our very own AiProfit matched betting tools to help you stay ahead of the game and teach you how to bet on Cheltenham races effectively.
The Cheltenham Festival is the crowning event of the National Hunt season, where horses compete in hurdles, steeplechases, and bumper (flat) races tailored to jumping specialists. The action unfolds on two distinct courses at Prestbury Park—the Old Course for the first two days and the New Course for the final two. Each day begins with an atmosphere that’s charged with excitement and anticipation, often heralded by the famous “Cheltenham Roar” from the grandstands as the opening contest sets off.
Not only is the racing high-quality, but bookmakers also unleash a tsunami of special offers, free bets, enhanced place terms, and boosted odds. From our vantage point at AiProfit, Cheltenham is the perfect scenario for matched bettors looking to turn promotional offers into consistent, near-risk-free profit.
While you don’t need to be a seasoned tipster to profit from matched betting, having a grasp of common racing terms can help you pick out the right markets and interpret race conditions more efficiently:
Familiarity with these terms can help you understand which events have the best liquidity or most appealing offers for your matched betting strategy.
Matched betting is a process where you back a selection at a bookmaker and then place a corresponding lay bet on a betting exchange. When you factor in bookmaker promotions such as free bets or enhanced odds, you can often guarantee a profit no matter the outcome of the race.
During Cheltenham, bookmakers fiercely compete for customer attention. You’ll see:
All these promotions can be systematically converted into profit through matched betting. The festival is a goldmine of value, and if you’re organised, you can capitalise on multiple offers per day.
Here at AiProfit, we have developed a suite of user-friendly tools to help you navigate this hectic festival period, such as, matched betting calculator, oddsmatcher, BOG matcher and more.
The more bookmaker accounts you hold, the more promotions you’ll be able to exploit. Before Cheltenham starts, make sure you’ve:
Cheltenham is fast-paced. With multiple top-tier races each day, offers can come in clusters. Having a pre-planned bankroll that covers your liability—especially if you need to lay several bets within a short time frame—ensures you never miss a profitable opportunity.
Let’s illustrate a typical scenario using our matched betting calculator:
You find a “Bet £10, Get £20 in free bets” offer on a Cheltenham race.
You back a horse at odds of 4.0 (3/1) with a £10 stake at the bookmaker. Simultaneously, you use our calculator to generate the required lay stake on a betting exchange (e.g., 4.1 lay odds) to neutralise your position. This might cost you a small qualifying loss (e.g., £1 or less).
After the qualifying bet settles, you are credited with £20 in free bets.
You want to use the free bets on selections with slightly higher odds (to maximise potential returns). Our Strategy Explorer can point you to a few races with favourable odds. Let’s say you place your £20 free bet at odds of 6.0 (5/1). Lay at around 6.2 or 6.4, depending on the exchange liquidity, to lock in a near-guaranteed profit.
Log everything in the profit tracker. Even if the horse loses, you should walk away with a net gain from the free bet conversion.
Ante-post bets are placed days or weeks before the festival, often with bigger odds. If your horse doesn’t run, however, some bookmakers won’t refund (the dreaded “non-runner, no bet” terms vary). In matched betting, the advantage is grabbing higher odds early. The risk is if the horse withdraws, your lay bet might still lose on the exchange if you don’t manage it properly. Keep an eye out for “Non-Runner, No Bet” offers that protect your stake.
When bookmakers offer payouts on extra places, you can significantly boost your profits by utilising our Each Way matched betting calculator or Extra Place matched betting calculator. These specialised tools enable you to place an each-way back bet while simultaneously laying both the win and place portions on the exchange with precision. If the horse secures one of the extra places (beyond the standard terms), the place portion of your back bet will win at the bookmaker, and your lay bet on the exchange will typically lose—resulting in a neat profit margin. This approach is particularly lucrative during major handicaps at Cheltenham, allowing you to optimise your betting strategy and ensure accurate, profitable outcomes with our dedicated calculators.
Look out for:
If you consistently exploit promotions without placing any ‘regular’ bets, some bookmakers might limit your account. Spread out your betting activity across different accounts and occasionally place small non-promotional wagers.
Liquidity on the exchange can dry up close to race time or for less prominent races. Always check the lay markets before placing your qualifying bet.
Matched betting is a methodical system, not a gamble. Don’t be tempted to deviate if a promotion or bet doesn’t go as planned. Stick to the calculations and keep your emotions in check.
Bookmakers have strict conditions (e.g., min odds, expiry dates for free bets, stake-not-returned on free bets). Read every offer’s terms to avoid a scenario where you incorrectly place a bet and forfeit your bonus.
To give you a more organised approach, here’s how we suggest structuring your betting activity over the four days:
The Cheltenham Festival is a highlight of the racing season, and with so many offers on the table, it’s also a highlight for matched bettors. We at AiProfit are excited to help you maximise your Cheltenham matched betting profits. By following the strategies in this guide, you can turn one of the biggest jump racing festivals of the year into a highly rewarding experience—both in terms of enjoyment and in pounds and pence.
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the UK's premier horse racing events, held annually in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire. It spans four days and features top National Hunt races, attracting elite horses, jockeys, and racing enthusiasts from around the world.
The Cheltenham Festival typically takes place over four consecutive days in March, concluding on the first Tuesday of the month, known as "Cheltenham Tuesday." Always check the official festival website for the exact dates each year.
You can place bets through online bookmakers, betting exchanges, or at the racecourse. Utilise our oddsmatcher tool to find the best odds across different platforms, ensuring you maximise your potential returns.
Effective strategies include matched betting using our matched betting calculator, each-way betting with our each way matched betting calculator, and leveraging our oddsmatcher to identify optimal odds. These tools help you secure profits and manage your bets efficiently during the festival.
Key races include the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers' Hurdle, and Champion Bumper. These races are renowned for their competitiveness and the high quality of participating horses and jockeys.