We are now Non-Runner Money Back on all races at Cheltenham Festival 2026!
If your horse is declared a non-runner, and you placed your bet:

• For the following races -
  Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup, Stayer Hurdle & Ryanair Chase: After 12.00pm - 27th January 2026
• All other races: After 6:00pm - 4th February 2026

You will receive your full stake back.
If you have placed an Accumulator and your bet is not Ante Post, the line related to the non runner will be void but the rest of the lines on the Accumulator will still stand.

Any bets placed prior to the above dates and times will settle in accordance with standard ante-post rules which you can read below.

For many major races you can place your bet well in advance of the day. In the case of the Classics or big National Hunt races, such as the Grand National, this could be a year or more before the race takes place. The price of the horse you bet on is usually bigger than you would expect to see on the day as it reflects the fact the horse is not guaranteed to line up in the race. Betting under ante-post rules means your bet will be a loser if your horse doesn’t run, except where specifically stated otherwise (non-runner no bet).

• Ante-post bets are losers if a selection does not take part in the race, but no Rule 4 deduction is made from winning ante-post bets with the possible exception of the circumstances below:
  • Stewards or racing authorities have the option of reducing the numbers in a race for the safety of horses and jockeys if, at the final declaration stage, too many have been left in. Ante-post bets on horses compulsorily withdrawn will be void and stakes returned. Bookmakers in these circumstances are authorised to make appropriate deductions from winning bets on the race, depending on the price(s) of the withdrawn horse(s) at the time of withdrawal in accordance with Rule 4 deductions. On the odds available on the day for horses, Rule 4 deductions may also apply.
• Ante-post bets are settled at the price and place terms displayed to you at the time of bet acceptance, but we reserve the right to amend any incorrect prices or place terms given in error

Virgin Bet is offering Best Odds Guaranteed for Cheltenham. If you place a bet after 10:00am on the day of the race, then the bet will be settled in favour of the customer if the odds are larger than the original odds of the bet.

❗Please note: Best odds guaranteed is only available to customers staking £25 each week in a 7-day rolling period on sportsbook.

For more information on our Best Odds Guaranteed concession, please click this handy link: Best Odds.

Virgin Bet will be operating Rule 4 deductions on Cheltenham. Rule 4 deductions are industry standard and are made when a participant is withdrawn from an event after you’ve placed your bet. The amount deducted from your winnings is based on the current price of the withdrawn competitor. 

For more information on Rule 4 deductions and how those are calculated, please click this handy link: Rule 4.

We will be operating our Dead Heat rules during Cheltenham.

If you’ve placed a bet on a horse to win the race and it’s involved in a dead heat, your stake is divided by the number of participants in the dead heat at your taken odds.

For more information on Dead Heat rules, please click the following link: Dead Heat.

If you attempt to log in and see a message stating your username or password is incorrect, click on ‘Forgotten details?’ and follow the steps detailed to get back in the game.

For more information on how to login when you've forgotten your details, click this handy link: Forgotten Login Details.

If you have had a new payment method since you last deposited then you can add a new one. To update the payment method you've registered, go to More > My account > Deposit, select the relevant card and click 'Edit'. For more information on payment methods, please click this link: Payment Methods.