The world-famous Cheltenham Festival in England is fast-approaching and lovers of equestrian sports worldwide can’t wait to get started. The showpiece event from Prestbury Park has provided us with some memorable moments over the years but the festival of 2022 promises to be that little bit extra special. Fans will be back in attendance following two years of limits and even bans on outdoor gatherings in the UK. 

Many of the island’s best-loved sporting events were played out behind closed doors but all will be welcome to the festival of British and Irish horse racing when the action begins. Four days of high class action begins on Tuesday 15th March with the action concluding on Friday 18th March. Several Group 1 races are on the programme, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup run on the Friday. Lovers of the sport can make their predictions on their favourite races of the week and place bets at the top sportsbooks listed at vegasbetting.com.

What are the top races to look forward to and which horses are expected to etch their name into the sport’s history books by winning at the festival. Our Cheltenham Festival 2022 guide answers those questions and more.

The week’s talking points

Day one of the Cheltenham Festival opens with the Supreme Novices Hurdle and we’ll know the festival is truly back when that roar goes up from the packed stands. Seven races will be run that afternoon with four of them being Grade 1 events. Some of the highlights from the day include the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle and the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Chase.

The leading betting apps are already offering odds on the big winners of the day, allowing backers to get in early, make their predictions and grab a better price on their pick than what will be available to those leaving it to the day of the race to wager. The betting is fairly competitive in most races at this stage and that is reflected in the Supreme Novices Hurdle as traders struggle to nail down a market leader. The pick at the time of writing is Constitution Hill who sits just ahead of main danger Dysart Dynamo. 

Day Two

Day two of racing brings us another seven-race programme with four Grade 1 contests. The action begins with the Novices Hurdle before we enjoy the return of some annual favourites, such as the Coral Cup, Cross Country Chase and the Champion Bumper. The Coral Cup ranks as the day’s most competitively priced race with huge odds available on every runner.

Day Three

Thursday brings us day three and the curtain goes up for the penultimate afternoon with the Novices Chase. This is when the action really steps up a gear and hits full speed as excitement grows ahead of the Friday. Three Grade 1 races will be run on the Thursday with the schedule boasting the Festival Trophy and the Stayers Hurdle. Klassical Dream is seen as the one to beat in the latter race, priced by odds-makers ahead of second favourite Champ who is sure to be a popular runner if making it to the final line-up.

Day Four

Friday and the final day of the meeting but there’s still time to create memories and, for bettors, there’s another seven races available in the quest to beat the bookies. Decisions made on this day could prove to be the difference between a profit and loss to those wagering on the outcome of the races. 

The action begins with the Triumph Hurdle which will be the first of three Grade 1 races, the others being the Novices Hurdle and the big one, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The latter is the main event of the week. Which horse will win the Gold Cup 2022? That’s for horse racing fans to predict but there may be clues in the betting as bookies side with Galopin Des Champs. There’s a decent price on offer in the antepost betting but many backers will wait for the non runner no bet promotion to come into play before risking their stake. Despite the nice odds, Galopin Des Champs is head and shoulders above a chasing pack led by A Plus Tard.