Cheltenham Festival predictions are only worth reading when they come with reasons. This page explains how we make ours, what we can honestly say this far out, and how spread betting on the Festival works, because it is a very different bet from the ones most people place.
Checked: 23 October 2026. The Festival runs 16 to 19 March 2027.
Our Festival predictions
There are none yet, on purpose. The fields are not known until the entries and then the final declarations, and a horse can change its prospects with one run between now and March. A list of winners published in October would be a guess dressed up as a prediction.
We add our views to this page after the season's key trials have been run, each with its reasoning and the date it was made, and we leave the wrong ones on the page. Our daily NAP, next best and each-way pick are on the racing tips page every racing day, so you can see how we work between now and the Festival, with the whole record on the home page.
How to make your own Festival predictions
- Read the conditions. The distance, the age limit, whether it is a handicap and whether the horses are novices tell you what kind of horse the race suits.
- Check the course. Cheltenham has an uphill finish, and some horses that look fine before the last fence do not get up the hill. Previous runs at the course tell you more than the same form elsewhere.
- Check the ground. Some horses are only effective on soft ground, others on good. The going can change during the week.
- Check the trip. Has the horse won, or finished strongly, over this distance? A horse stepping up in distance for the first time has something to prove.
- Check the preparation. A horse that has had a good run recently and has been trained for the day is a safer bet than one that is rested all winter and lightly raced.
- Turn the price into a chance. Odds of 4/1 imply a 1 in 5 chance, 20%, before the bookmaker’s margin (1 divided by 4 + 1). If you think the horse is more likely than that, it is a bet. If not, it is not.
Our Cheltenham Festival guide covers ante-post betting and non-runner no bet, and how to read a racecard explains the form figures.
Spread betting on the Festival, explained
In a normal bet you pick an outcome and win or lose a fixed amount. In spread betting, a firm quotes a spread, such as 12 to 13, for a number that will be known after the racing: how many winners a country or trainer has, for example. You choose to buy (bet that the number will be higher) or sell (lower) and a stake per point.
The profit or loss is the number of points the result is away from the line, multiplied by your stake. A buy wins for each point above the higher figure; a sell wins for each point below the lower one. Here is a made-up example, not a real market, with a £10 stake per point:
| Irish-trained winners | Buy at 13, £10 a winner | Sell at 12, £10 a winner |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | -£50 | +£40 |
| 12 | -£10 | £0 |
| 16 | +£30 | -£40 |
The Prestbury Cup, decided on which of Britain and Ireland has more Festival winners, is the sort of count spread markets are often built around. Firms that offer sports spread betting also tend to list other Festival numbers, such as one trainer’s winners or the total of the winning distances. Check what your firm lists.
The risks of spread betting
- You can lose more than your stake. A fixed-odds bet can only lose what you staked. A spread bet loses a stake for every point the result goes against you, so the loss has no ceiling.
- It is quick. A big result can move a lot of points at once. Start with a stake you could lose many times over without it hurting.
- Check the firm. A firm offering spread betting to UK customers must hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. You can check the licence on the Commission’s public register.
- It is not each-way. There are no place terms or extra places in a spread bet.
If you are new to betting on the Festival, a fixed-odds bet with a stake you set is a simpler place to start.
More Cheltenham Festival 2027 guides
18+ only. Tips are our opinion, not a promise: racing is unpredictable and losing runs happen. Stake only what you can afford to lose. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware or GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
FAQs
What is spread betting at the Cheltenham Festival?
A bet on a number that is known after the racing, such as how many winners the Irish trainers have, against a spread quoted by a firm. You buy if you think the number will be higher than the spread, or sell if lower, and your profit or loss is the points away from the line multiplied by your stake.
Can you lose more than your stake spread betting on Cheltenham?
Yes. Unlike a fixed-odds bet, a spread bet can lose more than the stake because you lose a stake for every point the result goes against you. Set a stake you could afford to lose several times over.
Who will win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2027?
It is too early to say honestly: the fields are not known until the entries and declarations in the weeks before 16 to 19 March 2027, and the winter's trials change things. We add our views with reasons once the key trials have been run.
How do I turn betting odds into a chance?
Divide 1 by the odds plus one. Odds of 4/1 are 1 divided by 5, a 20% chance; odds of 9/1 are 10%. Bookmakers build in a margin, so the real chance the price implies is a little lower.