
Cheltenham betting odds can make or break whether you decide to place a wager. You need a bookmaker in Australia like Unibet that comes recommended for Festival bets.
You can learn all about where the best places to take a punt on Cheltenham are right here. We all fancy a flutter on major horse racing action from time to time. As Cheltenham latest odds fluctuate based on market interest and tipsters’ choices, it is worth comparing sportsbooks to see which is the most reliable.
Now, this page is all about comparing Cheltenham latest odds and seeing which sportsbooks in Australia can provide the top prices on the Festival. In the course of conducting many bookmaker reviews, we also identified the best betting sites for high odds available online. These tell which sportsbooks have the top prices most often. When it comes to Cheltenham betting odds, there are different markets and bet types to consider too.
As well as the regular fixed odds that standard bookies offer up, pool betting is big in Australia. Parimutuel or Tote betting services are available with three different firms including the TAB holding national and/or state licenses to operate in the country. Comparing any Cheltenham odds they offer with other forms of gambling is tricky because the returns are calculated differently.
If you take the regular fixed Cheltenham betting odds, then you know the price that a bookie has laid. With tote services like the TAB, the returned dividends depend on how much interest there has been in a horse within the pool of bettors as a whole. This creates a scenario where favourites are returned at shorter odds through parimutuel markets than fixed odds. It works both ways, though, in that when outsiders win, the returned dividend can often be larger than what standard betting offers.
By all means check out our recommended bookmakers for Cheltenham odds in Australia, but it really is important to bear the above in mind. Some of our top sportsbooks for horse racing betting odds are truly global operators and their reach extends into other regions of the world. The Cheltenham latest odds on offer with these firms is usually very good. All our preferred bookies are fully licensed for at least some Australian states.
With Cheltenham betting odds, the name of the game is getting value for money. This lies at the heart of all gambling. You need to know how betting odds are calculated for starters. Knowing about implied probabilities, and the difference between fractional and decimals odds, are some of the basics you must master in order to get a grip on horse racing. Seeking value isn’t something you can develop overnight. It depends on experience and judgement.
With a sport as complicated as horse racing, having a handle on the form which the bookies use to create their Cheltenham odds and for other big events is important. It’s clear that the Festival is a hugely competitive meeting, where many horses are in with chances. If the Cheltenham latest odds don’t reflect this, then you have to ask yourself whether there is value there? Maybe not. The key is to bet when you feel that the odds are in your favour.
Already, you should be able to appreciate that value is not just about one bookmaker offering better prices than the competition. That plays its part, of course, but there is more to it than that. Sometimes, there are shorter prices available because of other factors like offers and promotions. Sitting in front of a Cheltenham odds comparison service may not take this into account. Be aware of the bigger picture, because that in turn might yield value that isn’t immediately obvious.
Value has been and always will be a relative concept. It is subjective. Just because one punter or an expert offering betting tips sees the Cheltenham latest odds as value, doesn’t mean you have to agree with them. Horse racing is one of those sports where everyone has an opinion.
You could always bide your time and wait until the days of the Festival before taking Cheltenham betting odds and getting your bets on. Any guide to betting on sports online will tell you that this might not be the best move, however. We just talked about the importance of finding value with the prices you take, and the Cheltenham latest odds may not have that anymore if you have waited too long before going in and placing your intended wagers.
It could instead be smarter to look at ante post and futures Cheltenham odds for the Festival. You need to be aware of the pros and cons of both approaches. By waiting patiently and betting on the day, you get the following:
It is worth contrasting Cheltenham latest odds with the ante post and futures markets. Just in case you aren’t aware, these are the markets that are available in the weeks and months before the Festival takes place. Sportsbook traders will alter these Cheltenham betting odds every time a key trial for the meeting takes place, or a horse puts in an impressive performance somewhere. Ante post odds have these upsides and drawbacks:
It’s a fine judgment deciding when to take Cheltenham odds, then.
While gambling laws and regulations in Australia prevents online bookmakers from advertising their offers and promotions openly, that doesn’t mean to say they aren’t there on sportsbooks. Once you are logged in to your betting account, you will find a whole range of deals available. Some of these may support the Cheltenham odds they provide in a variety of ways. You should look out for the following:
As the Festival is such a major event, you want to make sure that you get a run for your money with any horses you back. Sitting alongside the Cheltenham latest odds should be a Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) or Non-Runner Money Back (NRMB) guarantee. Different bookies will use either name, but the concept is the same.
If the horse you bet on for the Cheltenham Festival doesn’t line-up in the race in question for any reason at all, then you have your stake refunded in full in cash. That way, you don’t feel as though you have lost without even being in the race. It is worth pointing out that Non-Runner offers will probably not apply to ante post and futures bets struck unless specified.
When the maximum field allowed in most Cheltenham races at the Festival is around 20, and sometimes more, just getting the standard place betting terms doesn’t feel like value. With three places and 20 runners, you have just better than a one in seven chance of having a horse hit the frame. In a 24-runner handicap paying four places, it’s one in six.
These are not great Cheltenham odds, so the online bookies you use should be prepared to offer more. Extra place terms that see an each-way or place bets paying out on four, five, six and even more places are well worth looking into. You are increasing your chances of any wagers yielding a return or profit.
For many years now, the Cheltenham Festival has occupied a fixed spot in the British and global horse racing calendar. For four days in the middle of March, starting on a Tuesday with the Champion Hurdle card and finishing on the Friday of the same week with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, this event has produced its share of magic moments. Naturally, there are many horse racing betting tips given throughout the Festival. These focus on finding the best value Cheltenham betting odds before the meeting’s scheduled dates.
Only exceptional circumstances have caused the Cheltenham Festival to be cancelled. The usual reason is extreme weather conditions such as snow and flooding, but the last time this happened was in 2001. In that year, a Foot And Mouth Disease epidemic was sweeping the British countryside, so it was felt in the interests of equine safety that it should not take place. On a sports betting exchange like Betfair, you may find Cheltenham latest odds for the Festival being cancelled. All being well, and because it is such a highlight, the Festival will be held.
It’s clear that Cheltenham Festival betting is a big part of both the horse racing and gambling industries. There are various ways in which you can estimate its worth. In prize money terms, many millions of pounds (GBP) are given out to winners and placed horses across the meeting. Betting turnover based on punters taking Cheltenham odds is also sure to be huge. As sporting spectacle, it is simply invaluable as the best jumps horses from the UK, Ireland and beyond compete at the Festival.
The going at any racetrack is measured by the Clerk of the Course and his ground staff both before and during the action. This is done so that everyone is aware of the conditions underfoot for racing. Not all horses are suited by certain types of ground. A going stick is used on turf courses like Cheltenham, and the reading varies from extremes of heavy to firm. At the Festival, the ground has often been soft or good-to-soft in recent years. Conditions can impact betting on horses online, as Cheltenham odds drift or shorten based on suitability.
Over the years, the Cheltenham Festival has evolved. New races have been added or dropped from the schedule, especially as the meeting expanded in 2005. The introduction of a chase for mares in 2021 brought about new Cheltenham betting odds and the latest changes to the order of running. The wide variety and different types of events that take place during the Festival mean you need a horse betting strategy that reflects that. As a four-day meeting with seven races each day, that gives you 28 chances to find a winner.
What’s gambling really costing you? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au 18+
This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.