Horse racing news: Cheltenham Fever has bookmaker feeling queasy with £450m at stake
Bookmakers up and down the UK are braced for horse racing’s biggest betting week of the year, the Cheltenham Festival, with 28 races over four days, all of which made it into the 31 most bet-on races in 2025.
Only the Grand National, Derby, and Scottish National earned a place alongside Cheltenham’s 28 races on that list of betting turnover.
This year, William Hill, who sponsor the William Hill County Hurdle on Gold Cup Day (Friday 13th March), are forecasting an industry total of £450million to be wagered in the United Kingdom across the four days.
Of the horses William Hill are fearing most, Bambino Fever, who runs in Thursday’s Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, currently stands as one of their biggest liabilities, while Kateira, who’s been backed from 40/1 all the way down to 15/2, has the leading bookmaker sweating on Wednesday’s two-mile-five-furlong handicap hurdle.
Short-priced favourites pose threat
“Of the shorter-priced favourites at the meeting, Bambino Fever is a really bad result. She’s been well-backed in singles but is also a key leg of a lot of multiples.” said William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps.
“She looks a typical Willie Mullins hot pot at just 4/5 and continues to be backed with plenty of confidence.
“Other bad results would be the Dan Skelton–trained handicappers Supremely West and Kateira.
“Kateira has been smashed in the last week or so from 40s all the way into 15/2 second favourite for her race on Wednesday.
“The battle between us and the punters over the four days of the Cheltenham Festival is unrivalled in Jumps racing.
“We’re expecting around £450m to be wagered over the four days, which makes it the most bet-on racing festival of the year, and it’s a hugely important week for us.
“One day the fancied runners can get beat and everyone on the trading floor is cheering, and the next it can swing right back to the punters.”
