The greatest sporting spectacle in horse racing is over for another 12 months, but the memories from the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 will live long in the memory.

Willie Mullins enjoyed another dominant Festival in the Cotswolds, while Ireland bested the British to land the Prestbury Cup. However, who were some of the biggest winners and losers from the Festival this year?

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Galopin Des Champs Emerges As One Of The Greats

The superstar performance of the week was saved for the biggest race at the Festival, as Galopin Des Champs highlighted why he is considered by most as one of the greatest staying chasers of the modern era. Once again, the Mullins runner was forced to do things the hard way.Paul Townend needed to contend with a loose horse for the majority of the closing stages.

However, he was backed as if losing his Gold Cup was out of the question before the race, and he stylishly finished over three lengths clear of Gerri Colombe. Mullins deserves all the praise for a stunning training performance. The eight-year-old already having landed the Irish Gold Cup and Savills Chase before another dominant performance at the home of jumps racing.

Miserable Week For Nicky Henderson

It could be argued that the British may have been closer to the Irish in terms of race winners had it not been for Nicky Henderson’s stable form throughout the week. It was always going to be a testing period for Henderson, with Constitution Hill ruled out before the meet.

Things didn’t get much easier on the opening day, with all Nico De Boinville rides pulled up before the finish. Henderson’s misery was compounded later in the week when hot favourite Sir Gino was ruled out of the Triumph Hurdle, before a decision was made for Shishkin to avoid his date with destiny in the Gold Cup.

Ballyburn Dazzles In Novice Hurdle Division

One of the best backed Irish runners of the week was Ballyburn, with the Mullins runner ultimately opting to step back up to two miles and five to compete in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle. The novice produced one of the best displays of the week, finishing a stunning 13 lengths clear of Jimmy Du Seuil to land a first Festival win.

However, it would be hard to bet against it being his last success at Cheltenham. Connections will now have a huge decision to make, with a potential eye-watering showdown with Constitution Hill on the cards if he remains over hurdles. But, the Gold Cup dream could be alive with Ballyburn, meaning it is highly likely that we will be seeing him over fences at the start of next season.

Champion Hurdle Flatters To Deceive

A lot of attention on the opening day was placed on the Champion Hurdle following the announcement that Constitution Hill would be missing the Festival. State Man was well backed before the off, but the Mullins runner wasn’t exactly the breathtaking winner that fans would have been hoping to see. The race as a whole was also negatively impacted following the decision for Lossiemouth to run in the Mares’ Hurdle.

Last year’s Triumph victor was dominant against her own sex, and it’s likely that she could have thrown down a major challenge to her stable mate if going up against the boys. Dilution of races remains a key question for the BHA to address, as we could have witnessed a number of matchups for the ages.

New Gold Cup Hopes Emerge

There’s no denying that Galopin Des Champs will likely go off for next year’s Gold Cup as a solid favourite once again, but the picture for the biggest race of the week looks fascinating at this stage. Fact To File has been touted as a potential rival to his stablemate in the race next year, and he delivered an excellent round of jumping to land the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over an extended three miles.

Grey Dawning could yet emerge as a new British hope for the Gold Cup after winning the Turners Novices’ Chase in stunning fashion. French dreams will also be alive in the Gold Cup next year, with the incredibly progressive Il Est Francais set to have some big British commitments next season, beginning with the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Fresh Questions Over Competitiveness

The Irish dominance was clear for all to see at the Festival once again this year. A lot was made that it was potentially all about the dominance of Willie Mullins, but the Irish still would have won the Prestbury Cup by a 15-12 margin even without the Mullins winners.

Competitive races were few and far between at the Festival this year, with seven races of the 27 having an odds-on favourite. That is the highest percentage in the history of the Festival!

Want to Learn About the Cheltenham Odds? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

With Cheltenham just around the corner, the odds and predictions are already coming in droves. Everyone has their own favourite, and as the excitement grows, bettors are becoming increasingly interested in who is going to come out on top. With that starting date looming so close, we already have a pretty good idea of which jockeys and horses are likely going to be contending.

In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Cheltenham odds, going over the favourites, different betting options, best bookmakers, and more.

Let’s get right into it!

Cheltenham Top Jockey Odds

Cheltenham 2024 is set to be jam-packed with talented riders and promising stars, so much so that there is more than a little wiggle room when it comes to predictions on which riders are going to come out on top. However, as is always the case, there are a few favourites that have some incredible Cheltenham odds.

Perhaps the most notable of which is Paul Townend, the talented star under the tutelage of Willie Mullins. Paul leads the pack with odds of 2/5, putting him comfortably ahead of his competition and showcasing his skill and dedication.

Following shortly behind is Jack Kennedy at 4/1. Jack is an incredibly talented rider trained by Gordon Elliot, and many believe he is one of the few candidates who may be able to stand up to Paul Townend.

For an underdog option, there’s 2021 Cheltenham Top Jockey, Rachael Blackmore, at 14/1. Training under Henry de Bromhead and having a promising lead-up to Cheltenham, many believe Blackmore may come out of nowhere and dominate the competition.

Cheltenham Ante-post Odds

Cheltenham ante-post odds allow bettors to place a wager on their favourite horse well in advance, usually weeks or months ahead, with the hopes of getting a bigger payout than they would have if they placed the same wager on the day of the race. This option is great for those that are very confident their bet is big value. It allows you to lock in good odds well before the start of the race and the mjority of betting money has come in.

However, this also comes with drawbacks. Not only could you lose your wager entirely if your horse doesn’t run, but you could also miss out on receiving a better return on your wager if the odds decrease and your horse still wins. Luckily, there is a work-around to the first issue ¾ the non-runner no bet (NRNB). This simply means your bet is returned if your horse doesn’t run.

Cheltenham Each Way Odds

Each way odds are a popular betting option in general, but for Cheltenham, they are even more sought-after. This is because bookmakers compete to give bettors the best odds, leading to increasing returns and a ton of value.

But what are each way odds?

Well, each way odds are composed of two different bets. One bet is for the horse to win, and the other is for the horse to finish in a specific position. This gives you two chances of winning, making it a popular option among bettors. As we mentioned earlier, this type of bet is made even more enticing by the numerous incentives offered by sportsbooks. Allowing bettors to get big payouts even if their horse finishes as far back as seventh or eighth place.

Cheltenham Tips and Tricks

In order to get the most out of the Cheltenham Festival, there are a few tips and tricks you can utilise to get an edge and improve your chances of being successful. First, make sure you do your research. The easiest way to profit from a big horse racing festival such as Cheltenham is by using bookmaker promotions and boosts that are on often.

Over Cheltenham there will so many matched betting opportunities to take advantage of. You could lock in potentially hundreds of pounds in profit just by picking off the best offers.

Bookmakers With Best Odds Guaranteed for Cheltenham Festival 2024

If you are struggling to find a good sportsbook with accurate odds in time for Cheltenham, here are a few of the best bookmakers that also offer best odds guaranteed.

Paddy Power
Betway
BoyleSports
Bet365
Betfair

All of these sports betting sites have been in the game for years. They are all fully licensed and been used by millions of sports bettors. We don’t have the time to give in-depth betting reviews in this article,however these are bookmakers we have used on this site and haven’t had issues with.

We hope this article will be of some use to you. Knowing as much as you can well ahead of time will allow you to position yourself much better going into Cheltenham. Who knows, you may have a better chance of placing some winning bets. Of course, knowledge and research can only take you so far ¾ the element of uncertainty is what makes horse racing so special. Nonetheless, being well prepared only stands to improve your chances and heighten your experience.

Overall make sure to gamble responsibly. Set up a proper bankroll for the festival, have a plan and don’t overstake. With that being said, here’s to Cheltenham 2024.

Let’s hope it’s a good one!