Popular Types Of Bets At Cheltenham

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I’ve always found that the sheer variety of bets you can place at the Cheltenham Festival is part of what makes it so exciting. While a simple win bet is the foundation, exploring the other popular bet types has added a whole new layer of strategy and enjoyment to my four days. Understanding these different wagers is key to building a betting portfolio that can suit any budget or level of confidence.

The most straightforward bet, and one I use every day, is the single. I pick a horse in a race and back it to win. It’s pure and simple. When my confidence is high but the odds are short, I might just place a win-only bet. However, the true staple of my Cheltenham strategy is the each-way single. This is effectively two bets in one: a bet to win and a bet to place. In the big handicaps where places are often paid on the first five or six horses, an each-way bet on a 16/1 shot can yield a fantastic return even if the horse only manages to finish fourth.

For the more ambitious punter, multiples like doubles, trebles, and accumulators are incredibly popular. I might combine two short-priced favourites in a double to create a more appealing combined price. The thrill of an accumulator, where you need all your selections to win, is hard to beat. I tend to keep these bets small and for fun, as the chances of landing a four or five-horse accumulator across the tough Cheltenham fields are slim, but the potential payout is what dreams are made of.

One of my personal favourites is the forecast bet. This is where you try to predict the first two horses home in a race in the correct order. It’s notoriously difficult, but the returns can be massive, especially in wide-open handicaps. A simpler version is the straight forecast, but some bookmakers also offer a reverse forecast, which covers both possible finishing orders for the two horses you select, effectively doubling the stake but increasing your chance of success.

For those who enjoy a real challenge, the tricast is the ultimate aim. This involves predicting the first three horses in the correct order. The difficulty is extremely high, but in a race like the Coral Cup with 20+ runners, the dividends can be life-changing. I usually only consider this in the biggest handicaps and always with a very small stake, treating it more like a lottery ticket with better odds.

Finally, I have to mention the novelty and fun bets that add to the festival atmosphere. Many bookmakers offer specials on things like the total number of winning favourites across the week, which trainer will have the most winners, or even the colour of the Queen Mother Champion Chase winner’s silks. These are lighthearted bets that I might place for a bit of fun, but they’re not the core of my serious strategy.

Exploring these popular bet types has genuinely enriched my Cheltenham experience. I might start the day with a few solid each-way singles, have a small double running, and then take a punt on a forecast in the big handicap. It creates multiple narratives to follow throughout the day and allows me to engage with every race on a deeper level. For me, it’s the perfect way to experience the rollercoaster of the greatest show on turf.