Cheltenham Festival News - Bet365 go Non-Runner No Bet on "Big 5 " races

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: 04 Jan 2022

Jon Vine 04 Jan 2022

Share this article

Bet365 are the first firm to offer Non-Runner No Bet stipulations for the Cheltenham Festival races
The 2022 Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 15th March
You can now bet NRNB in the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase, Stayers' Hurdle and the Gold Cup with bet365
We've picked out a top NRNB tip for each of the five races

Chantry House (centre) beating Fusil Raffles (right) at last year's Cheltenham Festival. (Getty)

This week, bet365 became the first bookmaker to assign Non-Runner No Bet stipulations in their markets for the big five races at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival takes place in the middle week of March. Although we're still over two months away from the showpiece event in British National Hunt racing taking place, the betting for the four Championship races, plus the Ryanair has been open since last year's meeting came to an end.

Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) provides ante-post punters with a wonderful safety net. From Monday, if you back any horse in bet365's market for the 2022 Champion Hurdle, 2022 Champion Chase, 2022 Ryanair Chase, 2022 Stayers' Hurdle and the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup and that horse doesn't run for any reason, you'll get your money back in cash.

NRNB terms also apply with multi-bets. Say, for example, you've rolled your four bets in the Championship races at the Cheltenham Festival into a four-fold accumulator, and the horse you've backed to win the Gold Cup doesn't run, your bet will become a three-fold accumulator, consisting of your picks in the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle.

We've taken a look through the ante-post betting for the five major races at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and picked out our best NRNB bets with bet365.

Table Of Contents

2022 Cheltenham Festival Tips - NRNB Best Bets
2022 Champion Hurdle Tips (NRNB)
2022 Champion Chase Tips (NRNB)
2022 Ryanair Chase Tips (NRNB)
2022 Stayers' Hurdle Tips (NRNB)
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips (NRNB)

2022 Cheltenham Festival Tips - NRNB Best Bets

2022 Champion Hurdle Tips (NRNB)

Adagio2022 Champion HurdleGET 20/1 HERE

Honeysuckle, Sharjah and Epatante finished first, second and third in the two major Grade Ones for two mile hurdlers last season. All three have impressed again this season and it wouldn't be a surprise if last year's Champion Hurdle placings were repeated in 2022.

If I was going to back an outsider to get involved, it would be ADAGIO, who won a Grade One at Chepstow last season before finishing second to Quilixios in the Triumph Hurdle. David Pipe's star ran a cracker on his only sole start this season, placing a close second under top-weight in the Greatwood. Adagio could be a lively each-way outsider should he take up his Champion Hurdle entry.

2022 Champion Chase Tips (NRNB)

Hitman 2022 Champion ChaseGET 16/1 HERE

Shishkin and Energumene are odds-on to finish first and second in this year's Champion Chase. Looking away from the big two in the betting, the best value bet could turn out to be HITMAN, who enjoyed an excellent first season over fences as a five-year-old in 2020/21.

Paul Nicholls' star has finished second in both the Haldon Gold Cup and the Tingle Creek so far this season, and could meet with Energumene in the Clarence House Chase before Cheltenham. If Hitman was to run well against Willie Mullins' raider at Ascot, 16/1 for the Champion Chase will disappear.

2022 Ryanair Chase Tips (NRNB)

Fusil Raffles2022 Ryanair ChaseGET 33/1 HERE

Allaho jumped his rivals into submission with a power-packed display last year, and Willie Mullins' star is sure to employ similar tactics when he attempts to defend his crown in 2022. It will take a very strong stayer to keep up with Allaho, so backing a horse who is proven over further than this trip could be a good tactic.

FUSIL RAFFLES won here at Cheltenham last season before following Chantry House home in the Turners' Novices' Chase. This season, Nicky Henderson's seven-year-old has won the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and stayed on strong to place under 11-7 in the Racing Post Trophy here at Cheltenham. If he runs, I wouldn't be shocked if Fusil Raffles found his way into the places.

2022 Stayers' Hurdle Tips (NRNB)

Champ2022 Stayers' HurdleGET 7/2 HERE

The best NRNB tip in the Stayers' Hurdle has to be CHAMP, who proved he belonged over hurdles by claiming an impressive win in the Long Walk Hurdle last time out.

Nicky Henderson mentioned after that win at Ascot that another run in the Gold Cup wasn't out of the question, but they would be crazy to return to chasing when he's clearly much more comfortable over the smaller obstacles. If Champ runs in the Stayers' Hurdle, even Klassical Dream may have trouble stopping him.

2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips (NRNB)

Chantry House2022 Gold CupGET 16/1 HERE

Following a pulled-up effort in the King George, CHANTRY HOUSE drifted right out to 16/1 in the Gold Cup betting. It was clear from as early as the second fence that Nicky Henderson's star wasn't on a going day at Kempton, and Nico De Boinville pulled the favourite up with more than half-a-mile still to travel.

Chantry House is a former Festival winner and thrashed Shan Blue over 25-furlongs at Aintree last season. If he wins the Cotswold Chase, then I expect he'll be clipped back into a single-figure price. If he doesn't, then Henderson could swerve the Gold Cup altogether. This is the best time to back Chantry House.