Last Updated on 05/02/2026 by Andy Clark
bet365 are once again leading the way for Cheltenham Festival 2026 ante-post betting, by offering non-runner no-bet on all 28 Cheltenham Festival 2026 races from 5pm on Tuesday 3rd February 2026.
Non-Runner No Bet will apply to all ante-post bets placed on ‘NRNB’ markets for every Cheltenham Festival race from 5pm on 3rd February 2026.
Any bets placed on win or each-way NRNB market will be refunded if your selection does not run. In multiple bets, if a selection does not run, that part of the bet will be deemed a non-runner, with the rest of the bet standing.
bet365 Offering NRNB Markets for Cheltenham 2026
As in previous years, bet365 will be offering an NRNB market, alongside an ante-post market for every race of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. This means punters can choose which market to bet on for their ante-post bets.
Betting ante-post means your bet will be a loser if the horse doesn’t run, but the flip side of this is that you are likely to get better odds for your selection at this stage.
View all the latest Cheltenham Festival odds at bet365.
Differences Between Ante-post and NRNB Betting at Cheltenham
If you are unsure, below we outline the key differences between ante-post and NRNB betting ahead of the Cheltenham Festival
Ante-Post:
- ✅ Better odds
- ✅ Bet months early
- ❌ Lose stake if horse doesn’t run
NRNB:
- ✅ Refund for non-runners
- ✅ Peace of mind
- ❌ Slightly shorter odds
Ante-Post Betting
Bet months in advance at bigger odds. The catch? If your horse doesn’t run, you lose your stake. No refunds, no exceptions.
Best for: Proven Cheltenham horses you’re confident will definitely run.
NRNB (Non-Runner No Bet)
Get your stake back if your horse doesn’t run. Bookies usually offer this from a few days before the Festival, but bet365 are offering it a full 6 weeks ahead of the first race.
The trade-off: Slightly shorter odds than ante-post, but you’re paying for insurance.
Best for: Horses with injury concerns or uncertain entries, such as handicaps, where the final fields will not be decided until 48 hours before the race.
bet365’s Racing Expert, Pat Cooney, has said:
“Following on from 2 tremendous days racing at Leopardstown, it seems now is an appropriate time to offer the NRNB option alongside our Ante Post betting on all 28 races at the Cheltenham Festival. It’s always a popular choice for ante-post backers to have a money back option if you do back a non-runner once the offer applies to each race.
“High profile horses such as Lossiemouth and Romeo Coolio certainly have good chances in either of their possible races and can now be backed with the NRNB option.
“There will also be many others with multiple entries at the meeting, I well remember in 2021 when The Shunter was entered in 6 handicaps, and was well supported in them all, winning 1 and stakes refunded in the other 5 races!
“Constitution Hill will of course be of considerable speculation , prior to his run on the Flat at Southwell later this month. I expect him to be the most selected in the NRNB markets.
Our Cheltenham Festival 2026 Non-Runner No Bet Tips
Below you will find all our up-to-date Cheltenham Festival tips, and you can use the bet365 NRNB market for any of these selections. The prices you see are subject to change and some will have already got shorter because of the NRNB concession.
Keep checking back on our live Cheltenham Festival hub to get the updated tips ahead of the start of the 2026 Festival on 10th March.
bet365’s Cheltenham 2026 Sign-up Offer
Open a new bet365 account for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, and you will get their bet £10 get £30 in free bets welcome offer for Cheltenham. Place a £10 bet when you have signed up, and you will get £30 in Cheltenham free bets added to your new account.
To get involved, click any of the links to the bet365 Cheltenham offer on this page and fill in your details to open an account. Once you have successfully opened the account, you can deposit and place your first bet. This gets you £30 in free bets.
Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers. The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest weeks on the sporting calendar, and his expertise in betting promotions and marketing means you always get the best offers.