There are a host of free bet offers available for next week’s Cheltenham Festival but most only apply to new customers. The notable exceptions appear to be BetVictor and Betway.
Once you’ve placed your first bet of £5 or more at odds of Evens or greater on any sport at BetVictor, you will receive a £1 Free Bet for every race at the Cheltenham Festival. This will be credited to your account as 7x £1 Free Bets by 11:00am each day. The £1 Free bets are tied to an individual race and can be placed on any market on that race at Cheltenham. A £10 Casino Bonus will also be credited, though those dreaded words ‘ Terms and Conditions’ apply and please note that some regular promotions will be suspended during the Cheltenham Festival.
If your selection loses in the first or last race at Cheltenham each day, Betway will refund you with a Free Bet up to £10 in each race. The minimum qualifying stake for this offer is £2 and only one Free Bet per race will be refunded. The bet must be a single on the race winner.
New customers only for Coral’s Cheltenham First Race Special which will double your winning odds on any single up to £25 in the first race on all four days of The Festival and also for Unibet’s Free Bet offer. You must place a £10+ ante-post bet on the Cheltenham Festival of odds of Evens or greater but will receive the free bets regardless of whether your qualifying £10 bet wins or loses. Those free bets will expire at the end of each day given, however.
Gordon Elliott, backed by the powerful Gigginstown Stud of Irish multi-millionaire Michael O’Leary, is a best 5/4 with Boylesports to be leading trainer at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. Willie Mullins is a best 7/2 while Nicky Henderson is a general 9/4. Paul Nicholls and Joseph O’Brien appear to be the only others trainers with any chance of upsetting the established big three and are available at 20/1.
Ruby Walsh is 3/1 with William Hill to be Leading Jockey with Barry Geraghty at 7/2 with BetVictor. Davy Russell and jack Kennedy, who will share riding duties for Gigginstown, are 11/2 with Betway with a general 6/1 respectively.
There is also a Top Festival Owner market this year but only three are quoted so it may be a short-lived experiment. JP McManus is 1/2 with Gigginstown at a best 13/8. Simon Munir is 50/1.
Ireland are a general 8/11 to have most winners over the week and win the Prestbury Cup with the UK at 13/8 with 888sport. A tie is a general 7/1. At the time of writing, most bookmakers are now non runner-no bet at The Cheltenham Festival so make sure your bookmaker is among them before having an ante-post bet.
