What people need to know about the Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is an important event in the National Hunt calendar that features some of the best horses, jockeys, and trainers. The festival draws a massive audience both on television and at the course. It is especially popular in England and Ireland, but it attracts people from all over.

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The Cheltenham Festival, which was known as the National Hunt Meeting, effectively originated in 1860. The Grand National Hunt was the main race featured at the event and a couple of steeplechases. It started as a one-day event held in different venues before settling at Cheltenham Racecourse and later on becoming a two-day event. The event continued to grow in its significance to the racing calendar after moving to Cheltenham.

In 1923 it became a three-day event, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which was a supporting race, was established as a championship race at the festival. In 1927, the Champion Hurdle was introduced and the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1959, which were both championship races from the time they were introduced and continue to be to date. The Stayers’ Hurdle is the oldest championship race at the Cheltenham Festival as it was first run in 1912.

The Cheltenham Festival continued to grow in popularity throughout the years, and in 2005 it became a four-day event. Today it is considered one of the biggest sporting events in England. The introduction of a fourth day meant that there would be a championship race on each day. An additional five races were added to the schedule to ensure there were six races each day, then another four were added, bringing them to twenty-eight races. The Cheltenham festival mainly features horses from Britain and Ireland but also attracts some international contenders.

Betting goes hand in hand with any horse racing event. The Cheltenham Festival being a major jump racing event, attracts major betting interest. Over the four days, millions of pounds are bet on the different races. It is quite challenging to pick out the winners because the races are very competitive and the especially the championship races. Therefore, bettors need to research the best tips before placing their bets. The Cheltenham Festival tips from racingtips.com are a good place to start, especially for a first-time bettor who does not know where to start.

The online betting market is quite competitive, especially during major sporting events. This is when different sites have all kinds of promotions and offers to attract new customers. During this festival, every person intending to bet should take advantage of the Cheltenham free bet offers from gg.co.uk as they are some of the best offers in the market both for new and existing customers. There is a lot of extra value available online that punters can benefit from during the Cheltenham festival week, including the free bets and enhanced prices. Studying different horses, jockeys, and trainers and how well they do can also be useful before placing a bet.

It is vital to research the various betting sites available and choose the right one when placing a bet for the Cheltenham Festival. Always ensure that the site has a license and read the customer feedback to avoid using a shady betting site and losing money. Some of the top betting sites to use during this festival include bet365, Coral, William Hill, Paddy Power, and Betway, to mention a few.