Cheltenham Races | Free Bets | Sports Betting

Cheltenham Races

The Cheltenham Races are known as "the jewel in the Jump racings" crown, and the Cheltenham course plays host to arguably the best horse jumping action in the word today. The course is nestled in 350 acres in the lee of the Cotswold Hills, and is comprised of not only the track, but numerous enclosures, a conference and events centre and many other leisure and business facilities. The conference and events centre is named The Centaur, and it can accommodate up to 4,000 visitors - making it the biggest venue of it's kind between Bournemouth and Birmingham. The first ever Cheltenham races we Flat meetings, and took place in 1815 on Nottingham Hill, with the first recorded races on Cleeve Hill following shortly afterwards in August 1818. The popularity of the Cheltenham races soared over the next decade, with crowds rumoured to be more than 30,000 strong visiting the course for its annual two day July meeting. The course has had numerous expansions and modernisations over the years - most notable in recent times being the £3m invested in building the new Best Mate Enclosure in the centre of the racecourse during 2003-2004. This provided the Cheltenham Races with a new grandstand which offers arguable the best views available in racing. Some of the best horse races in the world are held at Cheltenham, with highlights including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, World Hurdle, the Festival Trophy and many more.

Cheltenham Races Information

There are two tracks available at Cheltenham - the Old Course and the New Course. The Old Course is an oval shaped track around a mile and a half long. The New Course is much the same, but a little longer. Both of these courses boast stiff and challenging fences and end in a difficult uphill finish - a real test of a horse's stamina. There are three enclosures available, the new Best Mate Enclosure, the Tattersalls Enclosure and the Club Enclosure. There are extensive Totepool betting facilities and points, as well as friendly Totepool staff to guide you available in all enclosures. There is no formal dress code at Cheltenham, with race goers advised to dress for the weather. On Ladies day's visitors are encouraged to dress up, with prizes awarded for the best dressed ladies. No dogs are permitted in the Enclosures, except guide dogs. Children under the age of 16 are admitted to the course free, when accompanied by an adult. Cash points are available at the course in the Hall of Fame. When the Festival is running there are also additional cash points available near the Paddock and in the Best Mate Enclosure.

Getting There

The Cheltenham Races can be found a few minutes from Cheltenham town centre - a short distance from the M5. Cheltenham Spa Station is the nearest station to the races, with a bus link running to and from the station on special race days. There is also the option to "arrive in style" by taking a private steam train directly to the course. There is an area where helicopters can be landed on the grounds of the course, but arrivals must be booked in advance with the Cheltenham Races staff.