The Champion Hurdle is one of Cheltenham’s most prestigious races. We’ll show you how to read Champion Hurdle odds and place your bets with this handy guide.
Since 1927, the Champion Hurdle has been a mainstay of the Cheltenham Festival, with iconic winners claiming the gold throughout the years. As with other races at the festival, many fans enjoy putting their money where their mouth is and playing along, but how can you bet on Cheltenham Champion Hurdle action at home?
We’ve put together a quick guide to teach you the basics, so you can place your bets on the race. From a tutorial on reading Champion Hurdle odds to advice on choosing a bet that works for you, you’ll be ready to start playing by the time you’re done reading!
How to bet on the Champion Hurdle
Betway is your #1 destination for Champion Hurdle betting. To play along at home, sign up with a new account (or log in to an existing one) and choose your preferred market. Once you’ve selected your horse, choose your stake, and place your bet. We’ll let you know if your prediction was a success.
If you’re new to the world of horse racing, it can be a little intimidating to choose which horse to back in a major event like the Champion Hurdle. Fortunately, our guide on how to bet on horse racing will give you the advice you need to place your first bet and avoid the common pitfalls that newcomers often face.
How to read Champion Hurdle odds
At Betway, you can typically find Champion Hurdle betting odds in fractional terms. This means that each winner is assigned a fraction that represents their chances of winning. Horses assigned smaller fractions are considered more likely to win than those with a larger fraction (i.e. 2/1 vs 10/1) – but the potential returns from a successful bet are smaller.
You can figure out your potential winnings from a fractional bet by dividing your total stake by the number on the right, then multiplying it by the number on the left. Otherwise, you can use a betting calculator for an easy method of seeing your winning chances.
Example of a Champion Hurdle bet
Let’s take a look at a real-world example of Champion Hurdle betting to see how you can apply fractional odds. In this example, Lossiemouth is given odds of 4/1 to win, while Ballyburn is at 2/5.
If you want to place a £10 bet on Lossiemouth, you’ll earn £40 plus your original stake (10 ÷ 1 = 10, then 10 x 4 = £40), giving you a total return of £50.
A £10 bet on Ballyburn, however, would return just £14 for a total profit of £4 (£10 ÷ 5 = 2, then 2 x 2 = 4). This bet gives you smaller returns than putting the same stake on Lossiemouth, but it’s deemed more likely to be successful.
If you’re still confused, you can read our ‘Fractional odds explained’ guide for extra examples to help you understand how to read your horse’s chances of winning.
Where to bet on the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle
You can bet on the next Champion Hurdle winner right now with Betway. Simply head to our Champion Hurdle betting odds page and select which horse you think will win the race. Then, enter your stake, and our helpful betslip feature will show you your potential winnings from a successful bet.
Once you’re happy, click ‘Place bet’ and wait for the results to come in. If you’ve predicted correctly, you’ll win the money shown on your betslip and your original stake will be returned.
Different types of Champion Hurdle bets
When it comes to Champion Hurdle betting, there are plenty of ways to get involved in the action, so you can choose a bet that suits your preferences. Here are some of the most popular bet types you’ll see when following the action:
Accumulator
An accumulator, or “acca” bet, combines multiple bets into a single wager. The bet only pays out if every selection is successful, which can make for huge returns from low stakes, but creates a high-risk and high-reward scenario. These types of bets can be especially fun if you’re following multiple races.
For example, let’s say you’ve brushed up on all the Cheltenham Day 1 trends and you’d like to bet on the biggest events of the day. If you successfully bet on the winner of the Champion Hurdle, plus the victor in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Handicap Chase, you could earn a much larger return than placing single bets on each race.
Winner
The most common bet you’ll encounter in horse racing is a “winner” bet. Like the name suggests, these bets pay out if you correctly predict the winner of a race. You’ll lose your money if your chosen horse places anywhere other than first, but an upset victory could earn you an impressive return.
To place
Betting on a horse to place is more lenient than choosing a winner. In this bet, you’ll earn a payout if your horse places towards the top of the field, even if they don’t win.
The winning positions can vary depending on the size of the race. For example, a race with 7 runners would pay out on the horses in first and second, while a race with more than 16 runners would often pay out on the top 4.
Each way
An “each way” bet is a two-part wager, with one bet for your horse to win, and another for it to place. This means that you’ll still earn money if your horse doesn’t win, but if both bets are successful, there’s potential for even bigger earnings.
Ante-post
Ante-post bets are placed far in advance of the race, often before the list of competing horses has been revealed. This allows you to show off your knowledge of the sport by predicting not only that a horse will compete, but that it will win.
Typically, ante-post bets are available at longer odds than those placed closer to the race. This is because they’re less predictable, as your chosen horse could be injured or not compete in your chosen event, or a horse with much higher winning odds could be announced as a competitor.
Who to bet on in the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle
There’s no guaranteed winner in Champion Hurdle betting, but you can improve your chances of winning by conducting research on the horses and learning more about their racing styles. Pay attention to their recent winnings, preferred race types, and the success of their jockey and trainer.
For more advice, you can read our guide on how to choose a racehorse to bet on, or take a look at our Champion Hurdle trends round-up to learn more about previous winners.
