Cheltenham Festival – Biggest Race Winning Distance

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Punters love to wager on what will be the widest margin winner at the Cheltenham 2023 Festival.

Will a horse win out of sight and show its rivals a clean pair of heels? Or will there be many photo finishes and short margin victories in the Cheltenham Races?

Wagering money on the Biggest Race Winning Distance is a bet type that keeps punters interested in all 28 races of the 4 day Cheltenham Festival.

Are the bankers for Cheltenham 2023 going to win comfortably by wide margin successes or on the bridle cheekily?

In the Biggest Race Winning Distance Guide, we will show the latest betting odds, predictions and previous stats on horse racing winning distances:

Contents

Cheltenham Festival – Biggest Race Winning Distance

What Will be the Biggest Race-winning Distance at Cheltenham Festival 2023?

Here are the odds on what will be the furthest winning margin at the Cheltenham 2023 Festival.

  • Under 5 Lengths – 20/1
  • 5 lengths to 10 lengths – 8/1
  • 11 lengths to 15 lengths – 3/1
  • 16 lengths to 20 lengths – 5/2
  • 21 lengths to 25 lengths – 11/4
  • Over 25 Lengths – 11/4

Cheltenham Festival Widest Margin Winners

Here are the previous standings of the widest margin winning distances:

  • 2022 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 40 lengths
  • 2021 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 24 lengths
  • 2020 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 17 lengths
  • 2019 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 16 lengths
  • 2018 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 14 lengths
  • 2017 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 9 lengths
  • 2016 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 12 lengths
  • 2015 Cheltenham Festival widest margin horse racing winning distance was 17 lengths

Which Race will have the Biggest Race-winning Distance at Cheltenham Festival 2023?

Here are the odds for which specific race will have the longest horse racing winning margin at the Cheltenham 2023 Festival:

  • Brown Advisory Novices Chase (RSA) – 6/1
  • Cross Country Chase – 6/1
  • National Hunt Chase – 6/1
  • Turners Novice Chase (Marsh) – 7/1
  • Queen Mother Champion Chase – 8/1
  • Ryanair Chase – 8/1
  • Sporting Life Arkle Chase – 9/1
  • Champion Hurdle – 10/1
  • Foxhunters Chase – 10/1
  • Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle – 14/1
  • Ballymore Novices Hurdle – 16/1
  • Champion Bumper – 16/1
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup – 16/1
  • Sky Bet Supreme Novice Hurdle – 16/1
  • Kim Muir Challenge Cup – 20/1
  • Mares Chase – 20/1
  • Mares Hurdle – 20/1
  • Stayers Hurdle – 20/1
  • Mares Novice Hurdle – 25/1
  • Triumph Hurdle – 25/1
  • Ultima Handicap – 25/1
  • Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle – 50/1
  • Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle – 50/1
  • Pertemps Network Final – 50/1
  • Coral Cup – 66/1
  • County Hurdle – 66/1
  • Grand Annual – 66/1
  • Paddy Power Plate – 66/1

What Cheltenham Festival Race Had Widest Margin Winners?

Here are the previous standings of the widest margin winning distance races from previous years:

Which Race will have the Biggest Race-winning Distance Tips?

From previous years and horse racing tipsters, the predictions of what race will yield the longest distance winner is suggesting the following:

  • It will NOT be a handicap race
  • It is more like to be a chase over the larger obstacles

The pundits and betting tipsters are thinking the best two chances of the race with the longest margin winner will be either the Cross Country Chase or the Foxhunters Chase.

What Factors Influence The Winning Distances?

Here are some factors that directly can influence the winning distances of race meetings:

Ground Conditions

The ground conditions or horse racing going, can directly impact the average winning distances with the softer ground providing wider margin victories.

If the Cheltenham Festival is heavy ground the horses can get strung out and the winners put more daylight between themselves and their rivals.

Quality in-depth of Runners

Handicaps that have strength-in-depth on who can win the races generally provide smaller margin winning distances.

If the field of horses lacks quality in abundance you can find if the second fav falls then the favourite could win with a large winning margin.

Distance of Race

The distance of the race directly affects the winning margin with betting events like the Cross Country Chase providing more daylight between the winners and placed horses.

The longer races can be more eventful and cause the pack to spread out in distance with some horses easily winning with over 20 lengths in hand.

Weather conditions

The weather conditions can play a huge bearing in the outcome of the winning margin in a horse race.

Strong winds can affect the positioning of the runners with horses getting cover getting the aerodynamics advantage to bring them into the reckoning.

Weight

In handicaps, the weight of the top-weighted horses can directly affect their positioning and winning distances in horse racing results.

In heavy conditions, some top weight horses can struggle to get through the mud to challenge the winners.

Handling the Course

The handling of the course is very important for racehorses.

The famous quote “horses for courses” applies here, with some racehorses not liking the uphill finish at Cheltenham.

Jockey

The horse racing jockeys who saddles the horse is a huge factor in the winning distances in horse racing results.

Some jockeys play it cool and like to win on the bridle so will never stretch clear to win by large winning margins.

Trainer form

The horse racing trainers recent form is important to how well the fancied horses will run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Punters selecting the Cheltenham Top Trainer betting event look closely at the current form of the yard.

A horse racing yard in form can get their fancied horses securing wide-margin victories.

Not Making Errors

National Hunt Racing is important to make sure you make very few errors of the jumps.

If you get the run of the race and do not make any errors of the hurdles or chase jumps you could find long-distance winning distances if the other fancied horses make some blunders or even worse fall.

Not Going Too Soon Up the Hill

The Cheltenham finish is a long uphill straight and not kicking for home too early is important to staying out the trip.

Some horses turning the final bend kick too soon and jumping the last are running on empty which can cause massive winning distances.

Spread Betting on Winning Distances

The horse racing spread betting on the horse racing winning distances UK is the aggregate total of all 28 races winning margins.

The spread betting maximum winning distance for a Flat race is set at 12 lengths for the bumpers, while for a National Hunt race it is 30 lengths.

Here are the recorded distances for under a length:

  • Nose = 0.05 of a length
  • Short head = 0.1 of a length
  • Head = 0.2 of a length
  • Neck = 0.3 of a length
  • Half a length = 0.5 of a length
  • Three-quarters of a length = 0.75 of a length

Online bookmakers like Sporting Index or Spreadex might offer a spread on total winning distances of 50-54 at the Cheltenham 2023 Festival.

That means you can lay the horse racing winning margins at 50 points or back the horse racing winning margins at 54 points.

At the end of the 28 races if the total winning margins aggregated together was 70 lengths then if you had backed the winning distances at 54 you would get 16x your stake wagered in profit.

Widest-Margin Cheltenham Festival winners

Here are horses who put the most daylight between themselves and their rivals:

  • 24 lengths winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 by Appreciate It
  • 24 lengths winner of the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase in 2011 by Junior
  • 22 lengths winner of the Cross Country Chase in 2019 by Tiger Roll
  • 20 lengths winner of the Foxhunter Chase in 2013 by Salsify
  • 19 lengths winner of the Champion Chase in 2013 by Sprinter Sacre
  • 19 lengths winner of the Champion Chase in 2008 by Master Minded
  • 18 lengths winner of the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in 2018 by Laurina
  • 18 lengths winner of the Cross Country Chase in 2021 by Tiger Roll

Cheltenham Betting Sites Offering Winning Distance Bets

Here is a list of Cheltenham Betting Sites Offering Winning Distance Bets:

  • Betfair Cheltenham Offer

    betfair logo
    BET £10 GET £45
    Betfair bet £10 and get £30 is a decent offer if you are opening an account for Cheltenham betting. Betfair is one of the best bookmakers around and is highly recommended for betting on the Cheltenham Festival as well as other top sporting events. Find out more about them today.

    New Customer offer. Place a min £5 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £20 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • bet365 Cheltenham Offer

    bet365 logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    The bet365 Cheltenham offer is one of the best out there. As one of the top UK bookies we would expect this. The offer is a current deposit £10 and get £30 in free bet credits, for information and T&Cs follow the links below.

    Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. #AD Registration required.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Betfred Cheltenham Offer

    betfred logo
    BET £10 GET £40 IN FREE BETS
    The Betfred offer is a great one -deposit £10 and get up to £40 in bet bonuses. These can be used on a variety of betting markets including racing, football and other sports. For more information on this leading UK bookmaker read our full view.

    New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. #AD Full T&Cs apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • 888 Cheltenham Offer

    888sport logo
    UP TO £250
    Get the 888Sport Bet £10 and get £30 Cheltenham offer today. For full terms and conditions or to claim this great free bet credit for the Cheltenham Festival simply follow the link now.

    £10 min deposit using promo code 250BONUS • The bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least twice with cumulative odds of 1.50 or greater • To withdraw any winnings from your bonus, you must wager the bonus amount at least 5 times • All deposit and bonus wagering requirements must be completed within 60 days • This offer may not be combined with any other offer • Wagering limit of £50 per bet Applies • Restrictions apply to withdrawals, payment methods and countries apply. #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Coral Cheltenham Offer

    coral logo
    GET £20 IN FREE BETS
    Coral is another hugely popular bookmaker and a high-street name. This deal for new customers is a good one, for more information on this free bets credit either follow the link or check out our bespoke review. As with all betting offers certain terms and conditions will apply.

    18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 1x £20 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Parimatch Cheltenham Offer

    parimatch logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    Take advantage of the very best Cheltenham betting offers and free bets at the Parimatch sportsbook website with great sportsbook sign up bonuses for new horse racing bettors at the Cheltenham Festival

    18+ New Customers Only. Opt-in, bet on Horse Racing within 7 days of registration. Get your stake refunded up to £30 in Free Bets for set markets if your bet loses (odds 3.00+). Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments only. Offer valid from 16:00 UK time 04/08/2023. begambleaware.org | #AD Please Gamble Responsibly

    Full T&C's Apply

  • William Hill Cheltenham Offer

    williamhill logo
    GET £30 IN FREE BETS
    Bet £10 and get £30 in free bet credits with William Hill for the Cheltenham races. These can be used on all the big races at the Festival including the Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle. Certain deposit restrictions may apply.

    18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). Further terms apply. #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Ladbrokes Cheltenham Offer

    ladbrokes logo
    BET £5 GET £20 IN FREE BETS
    Bet £5 and get £20 with Ladbrokes is a good deal for punters who want to wage a small amount of their money but see a decent amount of free bet credits. As one of the leading and most respected bookies in the UK there are lots of benefits to opening an account whether for Cheltenham betting or at other times of the year.

    18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. #AD Restrictions apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Unibet Cheltenham Offer

    unibet logo
    UP TO £40 MONEY BACK + £10 CASINO BONUS
    The Unibet offer is a bit different from other bookies and is your money back as a free bet credit if your horse finished in second. This takes away some of the pain of just missing out! Unibet are great Cheltenham bookmaker and currently sponsors the Champion Hurdle, check out our full review for more info.

    18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first racing bet loses. Wagering: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. #AD Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Mr Play Cheltenham Offer

    mrplay logo
    BET £10 GET £15
    The Mr Play Cheltneham offer of bet £10 and get £15 is not one of the best on the market. However, this new bookmaker is hugely popular for punters looking for a new betting site. We have reviewed all of the best features, read our review or follow the link for more info.

    18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. #AD System bets no eligible.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • 32Red Cheltenham Offer

    32red logo
    UP TO 100% PROFIT BOOST
    A different Cheltenham offer from 32Red is their 100 profit boost! This one is definitely worth checking out as its totally different from the type of Cheltenham offered by other leading bookmakers. Read their full T&Cs to find out more.

    Opt in. Min. Odds Evs, Max. £10 stake, Max. additional profit £100. Skrill and Neteller deposits are not eligible – See full terms #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Betway Cheltenham Offer

    betway logo
    UP TO £70 IN FREE BETS
    Betway’s £70 in free bets for the countdown to 2023 Cheltenham Festival is an impressive sign up bonus

    All UK Customers. Opt-in required. Minimum stake: £25. Total Free Bets: 2 x £5 plus £5 added to Cheltenham Pot upon weekly qualification from 11/02/23 – 10/03/23. Qualify for all 4 weeks and receive an extra £10 free bet. Single Multiples including 3 or more selections only. Real money bets only.  Min. overall odds: 2/1 (3.00). Enhanced prices and eSports excluded. Pot credited in full on 13/03/23. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. #AD Bet The Responsible Way.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Paddy Power Cheltenham Offer

    paddypower logo
    £25 IN FREE BETS
    A good new offer for Paddy Power customers, basically bet £20 and you’ll be refunded in cash if you lose. This is a great Cheltenham offer from this leading Irish bookmaker. For information on them including BOG, live streaming of Cheltenham races and more, follow the links.

    New customers Only. Cash stakes only. Min £10 stake required for initial £5 free bet. Min odds ½. Max £25 in free bets. 13 settled bets required to receive full £25 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed on sportsbook within 30 days of opening account. One free bet offer per customer, household or IP address only. Free bets expires after 7 days. Payment method restrictions apply. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • BetUK Cheltenham Offer

    betuk logo
    BET £20 GET £60
    There’s a BetUK Cheltenham Offer to claim that requires you to just deposit and wager £20 and get £60 in Cheltenham Festival free bets.

    New customers on mobile only. 7 days to claim and stake £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater to qualify. Free, void, cashed out or partially cashed out bets do not qualify. Max 3x £10 free bets credited on bet settlement. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with selection odds of 1.3 or greater. Free bets are non-withdrawable, and stake not returned with winnings. 7 day expiry. #AD 18+BeGambleAware.org.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Grosvenor Cheltenham Offer

    grosvenorcasino logo
    DOUBLE THE ODDS
    A Cheltenham double-the-odds promotion from Grosvenor is good and Cheltenham offer with a difference. New to the UK gambling scene Grosvenor is growing in popularity, check out the perks in our full review.

    New Customer Offer. T&Cs Apply. 18+. #AD Please Gamble Responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • LiveScore Bet Cheltenham Offer

    livescorebet logo
    BET £10 GET £20 + £1 FREE BET EACH DAY
    The livescorebet Cheltenham free bet made our top list of hand-selected Cheltenham Festival special offers for horse racing punters looking to wager bets in the UK or Ireland

    New members only. Min £10 bet on sportsbook (ex. forecasts, tricasts & virtual sports), placed & settled within 14 days of sign-up . Min odds 1.5. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: sportsbook only (ex. virtual), accept within 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance. ex E/Ws & Multiples. Stakes not returned. BeGambleAware.org. 18+
    1 x £1 non-withdrawable Free Bet Token. Claim 1x Free bet per day 14/03/23-17/03/23. Use by 23:59 the following day. Use on LiveScore Bet sportsbook. Valid on any market. Bet Responsibly. #AD BeGambleAware.org. 18+

    Full T&C's Apply

  • LeoVegas Cheltenham Offer

    100% PROFIT BOOST OF UP TO £100
    A greal deal of a 100% profit boost up to £100 is something a little different from LeoVegas. If you haven’t heard of this top bookmaker then they are definitely worth checking out. Follow the links and find out more today, including the full terms and conditions of this promo.

    T&Cs apply. New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via “My Offers” page within 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits excl. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play. #AD Max. extra winnings £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Matchbook Cheltenham Offer

    matchbook logo
    UP TO £50 IN FREE BETS
    Take advantage of the Matchbook £50 free bets for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival

    Open to New Customers Only. New Customers must register with bonus code:MB50. To build the free bet bank, the user must stake £25 or more on Horse Racing between Monday and Sunday for each individual week of the promotional period. The user will receive a £10 free bet for each individual week they qualify. The max free bet bank the user can accumulate is £50, and can only be used on Cheltenham Festival markets only. 18+ only. #AD BeGambleAware.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • BoyleSports Cheltenham Offer

    boylesports logo
    BET £10 GET £20 IN FREE BETS
    Boylesports Bet 10 Get 60 Cheltenham Offer is for Ireland Customers Only

    New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. #AD T&Cs apply.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • QuinnBet Cheltenham Offer

    quinnbet logo
    UP TO £35 FREE BET
    QuinnBet has multiple Cheltenham Offers from £35 free bets on Cheltenham Festival or the bet 10 get 60 betting promotion for Irish punters

    For the Cheltenham Festival 2023, we’ve enhanced our UK welcome betting offer. Register with QuinnBet and get 50% back as a Free Bet up to £35 + 10 free casino spins. A minimum of 3 bets at odds of evans (2.00) or greater is required to qualify for the max free bet, which is based on first day losses. Even if you account is up, a single £10 Bet at the minimum odds, secures a £5 Free Bet & 10 Free Spins. UK 18+. begambleaware #AD

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Kwiff Cheltenham Offer

    kwiff logo
    BET £10 GET £20
    Kwiff Cheltenham Betting offer of a free £20 bet is good who sportsbook punters who also enjoy playing casino online

    New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £/€10. Qualifying real money bet of £/€10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer credited within 48 hours. Additional T&Cs apply. #AD Please gamble responsibly.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • SBK Cheltenham Offer

    sbk logo
    BET £10 GET £30
    Claim your SBK Cheltenham Offer when you deposit £10 and get £20 in Cheltenham Festival free bets.

    New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5 and get £10. Further £10 credited after 7 days and a further £10 credited after 14 days. Full T&Cs apply.18+. #AD BeGambleAware.org.

    Full T&C's Apply

  • Smarkets Cheltenham Offer

    smarkets logo
    0% COMMISSION FOR 60 DAYS
    Use code COMMFREE to trade with 0% for 60 days for Cheltenham Festival Free Bets. Minimum £10 first deposit only using Debit Card or Instant Banking. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Full T&Cs apply.

    Use code COMMFREE to trade with 0% commission for 60 days. Min. £10/€10 first deposit using Debit Card or Instant Banking. Full T&C’s apply.18+. #AD BeGambleAware.org.

    Full T&C's Apply

Many of the best Cheltenham betting sites offer Cheltenham Festival Specials like:

Popular Questions

How do you find out how many lengths a horse won by?

A freeze-frame can show how many lengths a horse won by for the winning distance.

If the distance is a wide margin victory the winning distance is calculated by measuring the time it takes second place to cross the winning line.

The running time of the next horse is calculated through a formula known as the lengths-per-second scale.

What is the maximum ‘official’ winning distance?

The maximum official winning distance is 30 lengths.

Any winning margins beyond 30 lengths are recorded as “a distance”.

What are the winning distances in horse racing?

The winning distance in horse racing is the margin the horse has finished in front of the next racehorse.

When checking the horse racing results the winning distance is displayed to show the length of how far the next horse finished behind.

Summary of Winning Distance Bets at Cheltenham

Over the years the Cheltenham Racecourse has been blessed to witness some of the most exceptional performances by the best National Hunt racehorses in the world.

Is the Cheltenham Racing Festival going to be won with some astonishing large distance wins or battles in photo finishes?

Have you managed to get your early bets on your well-fancied selections in the ante-post markets?

The horse racing fans and pundits have voiced their opinions, tips and predictions with their bankers for the 4-day meeting and now it is down the jockeys, trainers and racehorses to take centre stage.

You May Also Like These Cheltenham Races Articles

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Subjects covered – National hunt chase winning distance, feature race coverage and analysis including Gold Cup and Champion Chase, jump racing at Cheltenham racecourse the highlight of the national hunt calendar.