Cheltenham Festival free bets and betting offers round up

The Ultimate Cheltenham Festival 2026 Betting Guide: Unpacking Our Partners’ Top Offers

The roar is nearly upon us. As the jumps racing fraternity descends upon Prestbury Park for the Cheltenham Festival (Tuesday, 10 March to Friday, 13 March), the anticipation is reaching fever pitch. From the Championship races to the fiercely contested handicaps, the four days of action represent the pinnacle of the National Hunt calendar.

For punters, Cheltenham is the best time of the year to capitalise on bookmaker specials. To save you the legwork, we have collated the standout promotions available from our partners—Betfair, Paddy Power, and Sky Bet—all in one place.

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The Arkle Showdown: Lulamba vs Kopek Des Bordes

The opening day of the Festival features the Arkle Challenge Trophy, a two-mile speed test over fences that has distilled into a mouth-watering Anglo-Irish clash. In the British corner is Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba, while the Irish challenge is led by Willie Mullins’ Kopek Des Bordes.

Normally, you would find both of these superstars at very short odds. However, our partners have blown the market wide open with some unmissable price boosts surrounding this exact race.

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Paddy Power: The Heavyweight Cheltenham Package

Paddy Power is renowned for making a splash at the Festival, and their 2026 offering is heavily tailored towards the blockbuster Arkle clash.

The standard ‘Bet and Get’ offer is also a superb starting point. By placing a qualifying £10 bet, you unlock £60 in free bets, giving you substantial ammunition to tackle the week's handicaps.

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Sky Bet: The Multi-Faceted Approach

Sky Bet's package is incredibly versatile, whether you prefer single winners or construction ambitious accumulators.

If you prefer the thrill of a long-shot, the Bet £1, Get £50 on Multis offer is perfect for building those ambitious cross-card or multi-day Cheltenham accumulators.

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Betfair: The Classic Bankroll Builder

Betfair has opted for a straightforward welcome promotion providing reliable value. This is perfect for ensuring you have a healthy bankroll to use however you see fit across the week’s 28 races.

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Summary: Choosing the Right Offer

• Choose Paddy Power for the massive £60 bonus or the 60/1 Arkle win boost.
• Choose Sky Bet for accumulator firepower (£50 in multis) or a huge boost on your racing stakes.
• Choose Betfair for a simple, flexible bonus to use across any race or market.

Naturally, the most savvy approach is often to utilise all three, ensuring your betting portfolio is well-stocked for the 2026 Festival.

SAFER GAMBLING NOTICE

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.