Cheltenham Festival 2025: bet365 to offer ‘non-runner no bets’ on Championship races

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At this year’s Cheltenham Festival, bet365 have announced that they will be offering ‘non-runner no bets’ on all five Championship races.

The Stoke-on-Trent bookmaker revealed the news earlier this week ahead of the festival, which will begin on Tuesday 11 March and end on Friday 14 March.

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A non-runner no bet allows a stake to be returned should the selected horse not run in one of the events.

These types of bets particularly appeal to those betting in advance of the festival, referred to as ante-post betting, where the list of runners may change in the time between the bet being placed and the official declarations being made.

The offer provides an additional layer of security given the bet would be treated as lost under normal circumstances. 

Non-runner no bets also allow players to take advantage of wider odds which are available further in advance, while also knowing their stake will be returned if their selections aren’t featured in the event’s final guidelines. 

Pat Cooney, bet365’s horse racing expert says the offer will be a positive for both ante-post players and the festival itself.

Cooney said: “The countdown to the Cheltenham Festival is now well and truly underway following this news.

“It’s always a popular choice for ante-post backers to have a money back option if you do back a non-runner once the offer applies to each race. All told, it’s positive news for the festival.”

The Cheltenham Festival acts as a staple of horse racing’s National Hunt season and will see 28 races take place across the four days, 14 of which are Grade 1 races. 

Among them are the prestigious five Championship races, which begin with the Championship Hurdle on the Tuesday. 

The Champion Chase then takes place on Wednesday 12 March, before both the Ryanair Chase and Stayers’ Hurdle, which are held the following day. 

The final Championship race, the Gold Cup, concludes on the fourth and final day of the festival. 

Cheltenham is considered to be the headline event of the National hunt season, which is also referred to as jump racing.

Last year’s festival recorded an average attendance of 65,000 people across the four days, with an impressive peak of 71,500 on Gold Cup day.

The National Hunt season officially began in May last year, with the summer jump events then taking place in July through to September. 

October saw the commencement of the ‘core winter period’, which features the most prestigious events. 

These include Cheltenham and the world-renowned Grand National, which takes place on 5 April at Aintree Racecourse. 

The National Hunt season then officially ends with the finale at Sandown Park on 26 April.