Category: News

If you have been betting on Cheltenham for a few years‚ you will have noticed something․ Even high street names such as William Hill‚ Ladbrokes, and Coral are still there‚ but many of the Festival regulars are betting elsewhere․

That rise in non GamStop casinos is part of this story. You only need to be aware of the reasons behind the industry’s moves, as highlighted in the best curacao casinos not on gamstop 2026, which is worth taking into consideration before spending your Cheltenham money this year.

The Affordability Check Problem

This is where the betting market begins to adjust․ UKGC-licensed operators with customers who deposited over £500 a month were required from August 2024 to conduct financial vulnerability assessments of their customers. That was replaced with a threshold of £150 a month in February 2025․

Such checks are not applied to casinos outside GamStop‚ which is why those players who feel the friction most acutely are often the ones moving fastest․ But for someone who is going to have a serious bet on the four days of Cheltenham – say the Gold Cup‚ the Champion Hurdle‚ the Queen Mother Champion Chase – that does not apply․

When your bookmaker starts asking for your bank statements before you can even place a bet on the Stayers Hurdle‚ UK Casino alternatives start to look attractive․

What the Numbers Actually Show

The scale of this movement is documented․ Online bets on British horse racing decreased by £1․6 billion‚ or £3 billion in real terms after adjusting for inflation‚ between 2022 and 2024․

That money didn’t just disappear․ This has coincided with the rise of similar unlicensed‚ non GamStop sportsbooks and a decrease in popularity for licensed sportsbooks․

In the Racing Post’s survey of high-rolling gamblers‚ one in three placing bets of £1‚000 or more per transaction admitted using an illegal gambling site in the previous 12 months․ The majority said this was due to affordability checks at regulated gambling platforms․

Where Cheltenham Bettors Are Going Instead

Non GamStop sportsbooks offering horse racing markets also act as a genuine alternative for those gamblers that feel over-regulated by domestic sites․ Typically registered in Curaçao‚ Malta‚ or Gibraltar‚ these are legally operated‚ but outside the jurisdiction of the UK Gambling Commission․ You’re not breaking the law when you use them․

You are choosing a platform that sits outside the domestic regulatory framework․ For Cheltenham specifically, the answer seems to be pretty simple․ Say‚ you wanted to make a £400 each-way bet on a Gold Cup outsider‚ but not undergo a compliance review: an offshore bookmaker will let you do that without the paperwork․

What You Give Up by Leaving Regulated Bookmakers

This matters and is worth being direct about․ If you move your Cheltenham betting to non GamStop casinos, then you are losing the consumer protection of your UKGC licence․ Where it is delayed‚ recourse is not to the Financial Ombudsman service․

Dispute resolution is left entirely to the operator’s own system‚ and whether or not that is taken seriously varies very greatly depending on the operator’s licence authority․ You also lose the Horseracing Betting Levy‚ a feature of British racing that funds the prize money․

You also have to bear in mind that any money you bet through non GamStop betting sites won’t go back into the sport in the same way it does through licensed domestic operators․ That’s a consequence of racing at large‚ even if it doesn’t affect your own situation when you’re placing a bet․

What to Look For If You Are Considering the Switch

If affordability checks have impacted you and you are considering alternatives‚ the most important thing you can do is to choose carefully․ The quality of these non GamStop casinos betting sites varies․

Holding a Malta Gaming Authority licence provides better consumer protection than a Curaçao registration․ Consider giving more time to sites that publicly post their odds‚ have a verifiable license‚ and allow you to set voluntary deposit limits on the amount you are willing to spend․

If you want to bet on the Cheltenham markets, make sure the platform covers race-by-race betting‚ each-way betting, and ante-post betting for the biggest races․ Some non GamStop bookmakers also offer competitive Festival odds‚ as well as a full casino product․ Others consider horse racing as a sideshow‚ with limited coverage and pricing․

Conclusion

It is true British high street bookmakers have had to play catch-up ‚ largely because of regulations making serious Cheltenham betting harder here․ Other options‚ such as casinos not on GamStop‚ have appeared to help fill the void‚ albeit at some cost to more experienced players․

What you owe yourself before switching is a realistic appraisal of what you gain and lose. Also, whether the betting platform you choose is built to last rather than built to attract those disgruntled by affordability checks․

Paul Townend arrived at Prestbury Park this year with a strong record and a formidable book of rides. By the time he left, he had rewritten the history books. With race-by-race prices moving fast across all four days, this was a festival that rarely let you breathe, with Townend’s performances sitting right at the heart of it.

 

The Champion Hurdle: Lossiemouth

The week began with a statement. Willie Mullins’ Lossiemouth, carrying high expectations after her record of four Festival wins from four starts, stepped up from the Mares’ Hurdle to take on the Champion Hurdle and left her rivals with no answers.

Townend settled her beautifully through the early stages, and she found another gear on the approach to the final flight, drawing clear of Brighterdaysahead and the rest of the field to win with authority. It was her fifth Cheltenham Festival win, and the first time the Ricci silks had won the Champion Hurdle. For Townend, it was the first leg of something that nobody had ever done before.

 

The Champion Chase: Il Etait Temps

24 hours later, Townend returned to the winners’ enclosure with Il Etait Temps in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. This was a performance full of confidence from a horse and jockey partnership that knew exactly what it was doing.

Travelling smoothly throughout and finding a decisive jump at the second last, Il Etait Temps hit the line clear of his rivals to give Mullins another championship race and Townend two from two for the week. The treble was now a real conversation, though most considered it ambitious at best.

 

The Gold Cup: Gaelic Warrior

Gaelic Warrior, a horse with all the ability in the world and the occasional temperamental edge to match, produced the performance of the festival under a masterclass from Townend in the prestigious Gold Cup.

Starting as the 11/4 joint-favourite, Gaelic Warrior settled into fourth early on as Haiti Couleurs attempted to dictate from the front, before Townend moved him smoothly into contention down the hill. From the third last, there was only one winner. He crossed the line eight lengths ahead of Jango Baie, with Inothewayurthinkin third. Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man, one of the most talked-about storylines of the week, could not land a blow.

It was Townend’s fifth Gold Cup win, putting him ahead of the legendary Pat Taaffe as the most successful Gold Cup jockey in history, and it completed the first ever Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup treble at a single festival.

 

What it all means

Willie Mullins collected his 13th leading trainer title at the meeting, finishing with eight winners from 28 races and equalling Tom Dreaper’s record of five Gold Cup victories as a trainer.

Ireland edged the Prestbury Cup 15-13, though the margin flattered the scoreline. Britain put up its strongest challenge since 2019, and the rivalry between the two nations felt alive in a way it has not for years.

But this Cheltenham will be remembered first and foremost for Townend. Three championship races, three wins, one festival. It has never been done before, and it may never be done again.

 

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Day 4 Results (Friday 13th March)

Time	Race	1st Place (Winner)	2nd Place	3rd Place
13:20	Triumph Hurdle (G1)	Apolon De Charnie (50/1)	Maestro Conti (5/1)	Minella Study (7/1)
14:00	County Handicap Hurdle (G3)	Wilful (14/1)	Sticktotheplan (25/1)	Joyeuse (12/1)
14:40	Mares Chase (G1)	Dinoblue (11/8F)	Only by Night (11/1)	Panic Attack (11/4)
15:20	Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)	Johnnys Fury (20/1)	Fruit de Mer (28/1)	The Passing Wife (11/1)
16:00	Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)	Gaelic Warrior (11/4JF)	Jango Baie (11/4JF)	Inothewayurthinkin (11/1)
16:40	Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase	Barton Snow (9/2)	It’s On The Line (7/2F)	Music Drive (33/1)
17:20	Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle	Air of Entitlement (10/1)	Hot Fuss (25/1)	Jump Allen (8/1)

 

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Day 3 Results (Thursday 12th March)

Time	Race	1st Place (Winner)	2nd Place	3rd Place
13:20	Ryanair Mares Novices Hurdle (G2)	White Noise (40/1)	Oldschool Outlaw (15/2)	Place De La Nation (28/1)
14:00	Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase (G2)	Meetmebythesea (9/1)	Gold Dancer (25/1)	Regent’s Stroll (5/1F)
14:40	Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (G1)	Wodhooh (5/6F)	Jade De Grugy (2/1)	Feet Of A Dancer (8/1)
15:20	Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (G1)	Home By The Lee (33/1)	Ballyburn (11/2)	Bob Olinger (13/2)
16:00	Ryanair Chase (G1)	Heart Wood (9/2)	Jonbon (2/1F)	Banbridge (3/1)
16:40	Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle	Supremely West (10/3F)	Lavida Adiva (22/1)	Ikarak (40/1)
17:20	Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase	Ask Brewster (22/1)	Road to Home (9/1)	Monbeg Genius (18/1)

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Day 2 Results (Wednesday 11th March)

Time	Race	1st Place (Winner)	2nd Place	3rd Place
13:20	Turners Novices’ Hurdle (G1)	King Rasko Grey (11/1)	Act Of Innocence (10/1)	Zeus Power (50/1)
14:00	Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (G1)	Kitzbuhel (11/1)	Final Demand (7/2)	Salver (25/1)
14:40	Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle	Jingko Blue (9/2F)	Franciscan Rock (50/1)	Storm Heart (5/1)
15:20	Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase	Final Orders (7/1)	Favori De Champdou (2/1F)	Vanillier (13/2)
16:00	BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (G1)	Il Etait Temps (5/2)	Libberty Hunter (50/1)	L’eau Du Sud (13/2)
16:40	Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase	Martator (66/1)	Jazzy Matty (12/1)	Break My Soul (10/1)
17:20	Weatherbys Champion Bumper (G1)	The Mourne Rambler (15/2)	Mets Ta Ceinture (14/1)	Bass Hunter (8/1)

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Day 1 Results (Tuesday 10th March)

Time	Race	1st Place (Winner)	2nd Place	3rd Place
13:20	Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (G1)	Old Park Star (15/8F)	Sober Glory (9/2)	Mydaddypaddy (6/1)
14:00	Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase (G1)	Kargese (7/1)	Kopek Des Bordes (11/8)	Lulamba (11/10F)
14:40	Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle	Saratoga (10/1)	Winston Junior (5/1)	Klycot (40/1)
15:20	Ultima Handicap Chase	Johnnywho (18/1)	Jagwar (3/1F)	Quebecois (10/1)
16:00	Unibet Champion Hurdle (G1)	Lossiemouth (7/5F)	Brighterdaysahead (7/2)	The New Lion (3/1)
16:40	Festival Plate Handicap Chase	Madara (3/1F)	Will The Wise (10/1)	Moon D’Orange (25/1)
17:20	National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup	Holloway Queen (12/1)	King Of Answers (22/1)	One Big Bang (11/1)

Highlights:

Old Park Star (15/8F) winning the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, after being heavily backed by punters.

Lossiemouth (7/5F) dominating the feature Champion Hurdle, winning by over six lengths

With the four-day racing spectacular now underway at the iconic Cheltenham Racecourse, thousands of fans will be keeping an eye out not only for the runners and riders but also for the famous faces in the stands.

It could be football legends or pop stars, through to royalty and Hollywood actors, the list of Cheltenham Festival celebrities continues to grow every year.

 

Many famous faces come for the atmosphere; however, some have a lot more riding on the results, owning or part-owning horses competing during the week.

 

The team at Racing TV has collated some of the biggest celebrity owners and regular VIP attendees expected to draw attention during this year’s Festival.

Football legends with horses in the running

Former England striker Michael Owen is one of the best-known sporting figures involved in racing. After retiring from football, Owen founded the Michael Owen Racing Club in 2007, running a training establishment from converted stables at his home in Cheshire.

 

Another familiar football figure hoping for success at Prestbury Park is former manager Harry Redknapp.

 

Redknapp owns eight-year-old bay gelding The Jukebox Man, which he believes has a “serious chance” in the Festival’s most prestigious race, the Gold Cup, which takes place on Friday.

 

The horse heads to Cheltenham in strong form after storming to victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse on Boxing Day 2025.

 

Speaking ahead of the Festival, Redknapp said: “It’s a dream to have a horse to run in the Gold Cup and go there with a chance. I’m not saying we’re going to win it, but we’ve got a serious horse. It’s an open race, and I think we’ve got as good a chance as anything.”

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Festival contenders

Another football heavyweight with runners at Cheltenham is Alex Ferguson, the legendary former Manchester United boss.

 

Ferguson is a passionate racehorse owner with more than 30 horses in training.

 

One of his leading hopes for 2026, Live Conti, was ruled out after suffering a tendon injury last month. However, he still has strong chances elsewhere during the Festival, with Caldwell Potter entered in the Novices’ Handicap Chase and Protektorat among the contenders for the Ryanair Chase.

Spice Girl hoping for better luck

Pop royalty will also be represented at Cheltenham this year.

 

Former Geri Halliwell, also known as Ginger Spice, and her husband Christian Horner are the owners of Lift Me Up, a 10-year-old bay gelding.

 

For the second year running, the horse is set to run in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase on the Friday of race week.

 

Last year, the horse finished 13th out of 24 runners when ridden by jockey Jack Andrews, and connections will be hoping for a stronger showing this time around.

Celebrity racing syndicates and famous faces at Cheltenham

For those who don’t want the full cost of owning a racehorse outright, syndicates offer a popular alternative.

 

One of the best-known is Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, which has attracted famous members, including Elizabeth Hurley, who once sold her horse, Memory, to Queen Elizabeth II for breeding. Other celebrity members have included Hugh Bonneville and chef Heston Blumenthal.

 

But not every star at Cheltenham owns a runner. The Festival regularly attracts A-list spectators, including Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall, while Anne, Princess Royal and Camilla, Queen Consort have also attended in previous years.

 

Celebrities from fashion, film, and TV are often spotted around the racecourse too, including designer Jade Holland Cooper and Julian Dunkerton, as well as actors Idris Elba, Jamie Dornan, and Emilia Fox. Singers such as Lily Allen and stars including Luke Evans have also been seen enjoying the action.

 

TV favourites like Nick Knowles and Kirsty Gallacher are regulars too, while sporting stars including Amy Williams, Sam Quek and Victoria Pendleton have all joined the crowd in recent years.

 

With tennis legend Andy Murray and England cricketer Jonny Bairstow also among previous attendees, racegoers will be keeping an eye on the VIP boxes as well as the finishing line during one of Britain’s biggest sporting events.

The 2026 Cheltenham Festival is undoubtedly one the highlights of the annual sporting calendar in the United Kingdom.

Reputable horse racing betting sites in the UK will be inundated with wagers throughout the prestigious four-day National Hunt meeting.

The wagering experts on the BettingTop10 sportsbook comparison platform will offer punters in-depth analysis of all the big races.

They include the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, March 13, which is widely recognised as the headline race by horse racing fans.

With that in mind, read on as we look at the latest betting before assessing some of the main contenders for the big event.

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Gold Cup Betting

• Fact To File – 4/1
• Jango Baie – 11/2
• Gaelic Warrior – 11/2
• The Jukebox Man – 11/2
• Inothewayurthinkin – 7/1
• Haiti Couleurs – 8/1
• Grey Dawning – 14/1
• Spillane’s Tower – 14/1
• Impaire Et Passe – 25/1
• I Am Maximus – 25/1
• Banbridge – 25/1
• Grangeclare West – 33/1
• Envoi Allen – 33/1
• Nick Rockett – 33/1
• Affordale Fury – 33/1
• Spindleberry – 33/1
• L’Homme Presse – 40/1
• Fastorslow – 40/1
• Monty’s Star – 50/1
• Firefox – 50/1
• Lecky Watson – 66/1
• Stellar Story – 66/1
• Heart Wood – 66/1
• Handstands – 66/1
• Resplendent Grey – 66/1
• Gold Tweet – 100/1
• Three Card Brag – 100/1
• Myretown – 100/1

Cheltenham Festival 2026 – Gold Cup Preview

This year’s Gold Cup is wide open, with numerous horses holding a genuine chance of adding their name to the roll of honour.

Online bookmakers rate Fact To File as the favourite to win the race following his eye-catching victory in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month.

He has won at the past two festivals, but many respected pundits believe he will struggle to stay the extra two furlongs at Cheltenham.

Trainer Willie Mullins has several other fancied runners in the race including Gaelic Warrior, who was second Fact To File on his last outing. However, his stamina has also been questioned.

The UK challenge is headed by Jango Baie, who was unlucky to finish fourth in the King Geroge VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

Nicky Henderson’s talented seven-year-old will be better suited by the stiff track at Cheltenham and he could be the value bet in a tricky race.

The Jukebox Man and Haiti Couleurs are amongst the other horses which have been well supported by sports bettors in the ante-post market.

While The Jukebox Man has yet to prove he will stay 3m 2f, Denman Chase winner Haiti Couleurs is a relentless galloper who possesses a ton of stamina.

Punters looking for each-way value in the race would be well advised to consider Grey Dawning, who was an easy winner of the Betfair Chase earlier in the season.

The nine-year-old finished third in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January, but trainer Dan Skelton believes he will improve for that run in the Gold Cup.

“He is in the form of his life – he has never ever been better and probably never will be better,” Skelton said. “Next year he’ll be a year older and this is this horse the best you will ever see him.

“We want a nice, clear round and a bit of luck. Where he finishes, he finishes. We can presume with the quality field that this is there’s going to be half a dozen or more in contention turning in – and if you’re behind that half a dozen, it’s going to be harder than if you’re in among them.

“It’s going to be a very tight Gold Cup. Everyone is going to ride tight and it’s going to be as competitive a Gold Cup as you’ve ever seen, I think.

“You can’t let the front-runners off because they’re too good – you have to go with them. It’s going to be a real hard race – there will be no quarter asked and certainly none given.

“Grey Dawning has to display a different skillset – he has to display everything he’s got and probably more – but he’s in the best shape of his life to do that.”