As we approach the latest edition of the Cheltenham Festival, you may have noticed some horses feature among the bookies’ odds for multiple races across the four days of action. For those of you new to the world of horse racing, this can be a little confusing. Fear not though as through this guide, we will tell you what it means when a horse is entered into more than one race.
Keeping Options Open
Although it is common for horses to be entered into more than one Cheltenham Festival event, they will only take part in one. This has not always been the case, for example, Flyingbolt ran in the Champion Hurdle the day after winning the Champion Chase in 1966. Similarly, seven years later, Inkslinger won both the Champion Chase and the Cathcart Chase. Such feats will not be repeated though as current rules prohibit any horse from making more than one appearance at a single Cheltenham Festival.
It is important to remember this because even if a horse has three entries for Cheltenham, they will only end up in a maximum of one. Trainers do this to keep their options open in the most cost-effective way. Late entries (also known as supplementary entries) are permitted, but the cost of this is much larger than just having a regular on-time entry that is later withdrawn.
As entries cost money, trainers will only stump up the cash to pay for realistic targets. Many horses will only have one suitable race at the festival but some will have two or perhaps even three or more. In other cases, an injured horse will be entered with the hope they can recover in time.
Why Do Trainers Have Multiple Targets?
Trainers want to win as many races as possible and this means selecting the right race for each horse. This is not always such an obvious choice because there are external factors they must consider. Who else is going to be competing and what is the going like? For the first point, a trainer may be tempted to swerve a race if there will likely be a very strong field or a very formidable favourite. Why make a talented horse settle for a runner-up finish when they can avoid this rival and win another contest?
As for the going, a trainer will know what is the most suitable race based on conditions at Cheltenham. If conditions are soft or heavy, this places more emphasis on stamina. If a horse has plenty of endurance, this means they can try for a longer distance test, and vice versa.
How Does It Impact Betting?
If you place a bet on a horse after the final declarations and they end up not running, for whatever reason, you will get your stake back. This is not the case for ante-post (also known as ‘future’) bets. With this type of bet, you do not get your money back should your backed horse not compete in the race. Although it makes it a riskier punt, you are rewarded with higher odds and such wagers are popular at events like Cheltenham and other big races/meetings.
For most beginners, it is perhaps wise to avoid placing ante-post bets on a horse with multiple entries. As you become more familiar with the sport though, you will get a better idea of where a horse will likely end up during the Festival. You can also check out comments from trainers as some will speak openly about which race is the most likely destination. Should you make the correct call, you can enjoy significantly better odds than what will be available after the final declarations.
Examples of Multiple Cheltenham Entries
Banbridge has three potential targets for the Cheltenham Festival with a substantial range in distance. Many horses would not be versatile enough to be considered for both but Banbridge won over both two and three miles in 2024.
With Brighterdaysahead, the mare has two contests she could compete in. There is the one restricted to mares, or she has the opportunity to compete against the boys in the open-sex Champion Hurdle.
Some less common examples include when a horse, like Stellar Story, has been entered in races of different disciplines i.e. a chase and a hurdle. You can also sometimes see a novice runner, who has enjoyed a great debut year, competing in a chase/hurdle not restricted to horses with limited experience.
Not Just A Cheltenham Festival Occurrence
Although the discussion about horse entries here has been focussed around Cheltenham, it is worth stressing overlapping entries happen year-round. Often a trainer will enter a horse for a race at two separate courses over the same weekend, or separated by just a few days.