Day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival sees a number of key races, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Coral Cup and Champion Bumper, with elite competitors and up-and-coming stars running throughout the day.
The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest betting event of the year in the UK and betting sites trying to grab the attention of punters often attract interest via a range of new markets and fresh offers.
We’ve compiled a guide to the best new betting sites and free bet offers for day two at Cheltenham, alongside our best racing bets for Wednesday’s feature races, so read on for Champion Chase and Coral Cup tips.
Best new betting sites for Cheltenham Festival day two
| Rank | Bookmaker | Cheltenham Promos and Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50% of first day losses back up to £25, Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG), live streaming, First Past the Post payouts, money back specials up to £100, price boosts, Acca aboosts & NRNB. | |
| 2 | Welcome offer worth £30 in free bets available for horse racing, NRNB, boosted odds, moneyback specials, BOG, acca loyalty, extra places & live streaming. | |
| 3 | Welcome offer worth £40 in free bets, competitive odds, acca boosts, extra places, boosted odds, live streaming & Cheltenham specials. | |
| 4 | Welcome offer worth £30 in free bets, money back specials on racing, BOG, racing acca price boosts, Lucky Dips, Cheltenham specials, live streaming, free Cheltenham bets from acca loyalty scheme & extra places. | |
| 5 | Racing welcome offer worth up to £40. Live streaming, Lucky Dip, Cheltenham specials, odds boosts, acca free bets, acca boosts & extra places. |
Key races on day two of Cheltenham
Queen Mother Champion Chase 2025
The Champion Chase is the signature event of day two, featuring the elite chasers over two miles. It has a history dating back to 1959, and trainers Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have dominated the event with six wins each, though neither has won it in the last four years.
Henderson’s Jonbon is the leading contender on betting apps having won the Clarence House Chase in January, although two-time winner Energumene is a solid shout for Willie Mullins in the Champion Chase odds. Captain Guinness, who won in 2024, is a 50/1 long shot.
Coral Cup
The Coral Cup is one of the most fiercely competitive handicap races of the meeting. Nicky Henderson has fared well in the 31 years of the event, with four wins to his name, although Dan Skelton and Langer Dan have recorded successive wins.
Langer Dan is chasing a historic third win a row, but is an outsider at 16/1 with horse racing betting sites. In terms of the others in the Coral Cup odds, Kopeck De Mee and Be Aware are the bookies’ favourites, but this race tends to be an open affair with one single-figure price winner in the past 10 years.
Browns Advisory Chase
This race dates back to 1921 and was previously known as the RSA Chase until 2020. Nowadays, it’s one of the key battleground races for owners and trainers to win a Grade 1 event at the Festival. It is often a prelude to a Gold Cup run the following year, with Lord Windermere the last horse to complete the double in 2013 and 2014.
Willie Mullins has had six winners of this race previously and saddles the favourite Ballyburn, who won the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Punchestown in February. But the level of competition is stiff and the likes of Dancing City and Better Days Ahead may spring a suprise.
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
The Cross Country Chase was added to the Cheltenham card in 2005. It provides a real examination of endurance and can offer a testing ground for a future run at the Grand National.
Two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll has won this event three times, while trainer Gordon Elliott has five wins to his name, including the last two. This event did not take place last year due to a waterlogged track.
Stumptown and Galvin are the stand outs in the Champion Bumper odds, with Galvin aiming to become the latest Elliott runner to triumph.
Champion Bumper
This is the only flat race at the Cheltenham Festival and it features the next generation of horses that will compete over jumps. Talented runners such as Envoi Allen and Cue Card have won this race in the past, although it is another event that has been dominated by Willie Mullins.
In terms of Champion Bumper tips, Copacabana and Windbeneathmywings are two of the leading fancies for the race, with the former notably being a Mullins horse.
At present, Champion Bumper odds include 4/1 for Gameofinches, who recently won at Punchestown, with Copacabana at 5/1 and Windbeneathmywings offered at 13/2.
It is worth noting that the last time a horse won this race without having won its last race was in 1999, and all three horses mentioned won last time out.
Best free bets offers for Cheltenham from new betting sites
| Rank | Bookmaker | Offer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetGoodwin | Money back special up to £100. BetGoodwin offers bettors their money back as free bets if their horse loses by a nose, is beaten by a 50/1 shout, loses a chase by half-a-length or falls at the last while leading. |
| 2 | LiveScore Bet | Money back as a free bet on selected races each day of the Cheltenham Festival. Just place a maximum £10 bet on the selected race within 48 hours of the start time. If your horse finished second, third or fourth, you’ll get your stake back as a free bet. Only the first bet on the race will be eligible for the money back offer. |
| 3 | BetMGM | BetMGM offer one of the best sign-up offers around. New customers can claim £40 in free bets, £30 of which can be used on horse racing. All users have to do is sign up, deposit £10 and bet £10 on any market with odds of evens or greater to claim the offer. |
| 4 | TalkSport Bet | TalkSport Bet offers punters their money back up to £100 through their Run For Your Money offer. Refunds are available in the following circumstances: refuse or whip around at the start, fail to come out or lose all chance at the stalls. |
| 5 | Betano | Betano will give new customers their first stake back in free bets, up to a maximum value of £40. Simply stake a minimum of £10 on any horse at odds of 2/1 and punters can earn up to £40 in free bets, split 50:50 between being eligible for wagering on a horse racing acca and lengthen your odds special. |
How we rate new Cheltenham betting sites
Licensing: Our recommended new Cheltenham betting sites are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). We only recommend UKGC-licensed operators, ensuring that customers’ details are protected and that the betting sites are regulated.
Welcome offer: We recommend new betting sites that offer the best value for customers when signing up. Any welcome offer should be valuable compared to other operators and have a straightforward sign-up process.
Promotions: New Cheltenham betting sites should offer the best promotions, including free bets, money back specials, best odds guaranteed, non-runner no bet, price boosts, acca insurance, acca rewards, extra places and more.
Value: Our recommended Cheltenham new betting sites provide the best value odds in the industry across all 28 races. You’ll struggle to find better value Cheltenham odds, but always shop around.
Markets: The Cheltenham Festival is one of the gambling events of the year and our recommended betting sites have a plethora of markets available for each race.
Usability: New betting sites are not effective unless they have sound usability and functionality for all features, including live streaming. Our recommended operators tick all the boxes when it comes to usability, providing a sound online betting experience.
App: The best new Cheltenham betting sites should offer a quality native betting app for both Apple and Android users. Our carefully selected betting sites all deliver a sound experience for mobile users with their dedicated betting apps.
Payment options: We scoured the available payment options across Cheltenham betting sites and only considered the ones that offered a wide variety of options, including PayPal betting sites, Apple Pay, Google Pay and more.
Cheltenham day two tips for betting offers
Read the terms and conditions: Ensure that you fully understand all the terms and conditions before placing your wager. Read the fine print on offers to ensure your bet is valid for any promotion you wish to partake in.
Get the best value: Sign up for more than one betting site to ensure you’re getting bang for your buck. Look around at all the prices available on horses and make sure to stay up to date with any price boosts on selected horses. Using an odds comparison sites is a great way to compare prices quickly.
Research: Use betting tips and form guides to steer you in the right direction when it comes to placing your bets online. If you don’t know much about horse racing, reading through tips and guides can ensure you make an informed decision.
Free bets: Use your free bets wisely and ensure that your bets are valid before using them. Free bets have an expiry date, so ensure you maximise your opportunities when using free bets online.
Please gamble responsibly
Bettors should always follow responsible gambling practices. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you’re using slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
