Cheltenham set to turn out to be first £1billion horse racing pageant on Gold Cup day
Cheltenham is about to turn out to be the world’s first £1billion horse racing pageant on Friday (March 15).
An explosion in on-line playing noticed punters from Sydney to Seattle piling money on the 19 races over the primary three days. Fans will wager £200million on the one centesimal anniversary of the Gold Cup alone.
Last 12 months’s winner Galopin Des Champs goes for back-to-back triumphs, whereas super-jockey Rachael Blackmore, 34, is in search of a second victory aboard Jungle Boogie.
READ MORE: Sam Allardyce celebrates Sir Alex’s Cheltenham wins – and even photobombs Princess
READ MORE: Cheltenham day 4 ideas – our champion tipster’s NAP and finest bets together with Gold Cup
Join the Daily Star’s WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and much extra
![A man laughing at his phone, a sassy womanm the whatsapp logo and an alien in a suit.](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article31393559.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_PS081123dailystarchat.jpg)
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we would like you to affix us!
Through the app, we’ll ship you the sassiest showbiz tales, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…together with the most recent breaking information after all.
To be part of our group, all you need to do to affix is click on on this hyperlink, choose ‘Join Chat’ and also you’re in!
No one will have the ability to see who has enroll and nobody can ship messages aside from the Daily Star crew. We additionally deal with our group members to competitions, particular presents, promotions, and adverts from us and our companions.
If you don’t like our group, you’ll be able to try any time you want. To go away our group click on on the identify on the high of your display screen and select Exit group. If you’re curious, you’ll be able to learn our Privacy Notice.
The pageant can be fashionable with well-known faces, resembling Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo, 29, Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and TV presenter Stephen Mulhern, who’ve all been noticed on the Gloucestershire course.
InstantCasinos have it at odds of 4/5 to breach the £1bn mark. They mentioned on-line revellers had been lured in by the big variety of races with odds-on favourites – dubbed “Cheltenham Bankers”. In 2023, £600,000 was wager on the racecourse itself – plus hundreds of thousands extra on-line.
What do you consider Cheltenham Festival changing into the primary £1billion horse racing occasion? Let us know within the feedback part
![Hand holding a bet slip for horse racing](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article32358833.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Bet-slip-for-horse-racing.jpg)
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
![Georgia Toffolo on day three of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article32358905.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Cheltenham-Festival-2024-St-Patricks-Thursday-Cheltenham-Racecourse.jpg)
(Image: PA)
An InstantCasinos spokesman claimed the “popularity” of the pageant meant “both online and on course betting” had been “predicted to be up on last year”. David Stevens, of Coral, mentioned: “The first three days of the Cheltenham Festival are always popular with punters.
“But it’s Gold Cup day that they really look forward to, as it’s by far the biggest betting day of the four.”
Cheltenham concludes on Friday, headlining with the most important occasion of the week, the Gold Cup. Galopin Des Champs is at the moment the bookies favorite, with bet365 having the mare at evens.