Betfair Official Blog

A complete guide to betting on the Cheltenham Festival

David Stewart walks you through the hidden extras and the handy tips available on Betfair

Need some help picking a winner? We probably all need that - so in the countdown to Cheltenham it's reassuring to know that there are plenty of clues and pointers around the Betfair site to help you decide what to back or lay in the big races. It's not just about placing bets on Betfair - we're here to help you mark your card too.

Did you know ?We offer FREE downloadable form and racecards for every race...
HOW > Simply click the link that says RACING FORM at the top of every racecard or click on HORSE RACING on the horizontal menu bar and then BETFAIR RACING FORM. Select your meeting and then click on the link to download the PDF which includes colours, form comments, Betfair betting forecast plus all the usual racecard information.

Did you know? You can listen to every race commentary on Betfair Radio...
HOW > Simply click the link that says RADIO on the top of each race or go direct to our radio service at http://radio.betfair.com/. The service is on air from half an hour before the first race of the day and includes commentary for all races PLUS selections and analysis from our expert team of presenters and pundits. You can also listen to Betfair Radio on your telephone, call 08712 444 350 (cost: 10p per min.) or from the ROI: 1520 131 101 (cost: 15 cents per min.).

Did you know? You can place bets at the new Betfair SP from the night before...
HOW > You can now place bets on the new Betfair SP - which has already proved massively advantageous to punters compared with the traditional industry SP. As soon as the racecards are loaded the evening before racing, you can place a Betafir SP bet by simply clicking the SP option on the racecard and clicking on the SP box next to the horse you wish to back or lay. Your bet will be settled at the official Betfair SP.

Did you know?You can get the latest stats on horses, jockeys and trainers...
HOW > Simply click the link that says RACING FORM at the top of every racecard or click on HORSE RACING on the horizontal menu bar and then type in the name of the horse, jockey or trainer you are interested in. You'll see an at a glance guide to the current form, be able to drill down in more detail on individual races and also see any future runs/rides.

Did you know? We have a horseracing microsite that is packed full of pointers...
HOW > Go direct to the horseracing page at betting.betfair.com. Our horseracing section is jam-packed with articles, systems, tips and trading strategies from a range of experts - all with one thing in common - to try and bring you an added edge to your betting on Betfair. Regular website features include the daily market movers, previews of the big races, big betting stories of the day and articles on the hot topics in the world of racing and that's not just limited to the UK.

Did you know? You can get a LIVE feed of information from the racecourse...
HOW > Simply click the link that says RACING FORM at the top of every racecard or click on HORSE RACING on the horizontal menu bar and the LIVE INFORMATION is displayed on the bottom right corner. Direct from course we bring you news of latest weather, going, non runners and jockey changes plus any other important news likely to impact your betting.

Did you know?You can check how a horse is moving in the market...
HOW > In the racecards you will see a little graph to the left of the horses racecard number. Click on this and it will show you which direction the horse is moving in the market and the prices it has been traded at. After the race is run you can also see all the in-running trades on the horse.

Did you know? You can now place Tote bets direct from your Betfair account...
HOW > As well as backing or laying on Betfair - you can now use your Betfair account to place Scoop 6, Jackpot, Placepot, Quadpor and Exacta bets. Click Horse Racing in the left hand menu, then GB and then Tote and you will able to select your meeting and bet type.

Did you know? You can get the racing results...
HOW > Placed a bet and missed the race ? You can check back on racing results by clicking the link that says RACING FORM at the top of every racecard or click on HORSE RACING on the horizontal menu bar and you will see the RESULTS option. The fast results are updated seconds after the horses passing the post plus we have a full results archive where you can check the full finishing positions of all horses.