Betfred Cheltenham Festival Promo: Bet £10 on the First Race and Receive a £10 Free Bet
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The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most anticipated weeks in the racing calendar. For four days each March, the focus of the sport turns to Prestbury Park as the best jump horses compete across a packed programme of races.
Alongside the racing itself, bookmakers traditionally roll out a range of special offers tied to the Festival. One of the simplest deals available during the 2026 meeting comes from Betfred.
Their promotion centres on the opening race of the day and gives punters the chance to earn a Free Bet for later on the same Cheltenham card.
A Daily Free Bet Across the Festival
The Betfred offer runs on each of the four Festival days between Tuesday 10 March and Friday 13 March 2026.
To take part, customers must opt in to the promotion and place a qualifying bet on the first race of the afternoon at Cheltenham. The bet must be a single Win or Each Way wager with a total stake of £10.
A £10 Win bet will qualify, and a £5 Each Way bet will also count since the combined stake equals £10.
After the race has finished and the bet has settled, Betfred will credit the account with a £10 Free Bet. This Free Bet must then be used on another Cheltenham race later on the same day.
BETFRED
GET £50 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET £10
The Qualifying Races
Cheltenham always begins each day with a race at 1:20pm, and these races tend to attract strong betting interest as the Festival crowd builds its famous roar.
The first qualifying race takes place on Tuesday with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, a contest that regularly introduces exciting young hurdlers to a wider audience.
On Wednesday, the promotion applies to the Turners Novices' Hurdle, another race that has produced several top class performers in recent seasons.
Thursday’s qualifying race is the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle, which showcases some of the best mares currently in training.
The final day of the Festival opens with the Triumph Hurdle, a race restricted to four-year-old hurdlers that often highlights future stars of the sport.
These races provide the starting point for the Betfred promotion.
How the Free Bet Can Be Used
Once the qualifying bet has settled, the £10 Free Bet becomes available in the account.
The Free Bet must be used on another race at Cheltenham on the same day. It cannot be used on races at other meetings or on different sports.
Punters have flexibility when using the balance. The £10 can be placed on a single selection or split across several smaller bets. The minimum stake permitted is 10p.
One important point is that the stake of a Free Bet is not returned if the selection wins. Only the winnings are credited to the account.
Any unused Free Bet balance will expire at 23:59 on the same day it is issued.
Important Conditions
The promotion is open to both new and existing verified online customers who opt in before placing their bet.
The qualifying bet must be placed on the 1:20 race at Cheltenham on the relevant day of the Festival. Bets on other races will not trigger the offer.
Only single bets count toward the promotion. Specials markets, boosted odds bets, and wagers placed using Free Bet funds will not qualify.
Selections that become non-runners or bets that are voided or cancelled will not generate a Free Bet.
The maximum Free Bet available through this offer is £10 per customer each day.
A Straightforward Festival Deal
Cheltenham week is known for its packed race cards, with several major races taking place every afternoon.
By tying this promotion to the opening race, Betfred has created a simple way for punters to gain an additional bet later on the card.
For anyone planning to follow the Festival closely, the deal effectively gives another chance to get involved in the afternoon’s racing.
Since the offer runs across all four days of the Festival, it is possible to receive up to £40 in Free Bets during the week if the qualifying bet is placed each day.
With the opening race setting the tone for the afternoon and the crowd building toward the day’s headline contests, that extra bet could add a little more interest to the Cheltenham action.
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