Sky Bet go non-runner no bet on every race at the Cheltenham Festival

Sky Bet are to offer non-runner no bet for all races at the Cheltenham Festival from Thursday morning, becoming the first bookmaker to offer those terms for the four-day showpiece in 2022.

Currently most firms offer NRNB terms for the five championship races – Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase, Stayers' Hurdle and Gold Cup – but Sky Bet will open up the rules for all 28 races, while still offering markets with usual ante-post terms.

Non-runner no bet means customers are refunded stakes if their horse does not run in the race. But this will be the first time the bookmaker will run two books on every race, allowing customers a likely bigger price if they wish not to have the added security.

The festival kicks off on March 15 with the Sky Bet-sponsored Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Sky Bet spokesman Michael Shinners said: "With the Cheltenham Festival getting closer, we're going non-runner no bet on all 28 races from 9am on Thursday.

"Options for many horses are still very much up in the air, so the safety blanket of getting your money back if you don't get a run will be appealing to our customers.

"However, we're also keeping our ante-post book available for those customers who are prepared to take a risk for bigger prices."

Markets for the meeting are expected to change significantly with Cheltenham Trials day on Saturday and the two-day Dublin Racing Festival the following weekend.

Entries have now been revealed for almost all the Grade 1 races, with likely runners for the three novice hurdles and the Triumph Hurdle coming out on Tuesday.

Scratchings for the Gold Cup, Ryanair Chase and Champion Chase will come next week.

2022 Cheltenham Festival free bet offers

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• bet365 have a new customer offer available. Sign up here
• New William Hill customers can claim free bets as well as benefit from their money back offers here
• 888 Sport have free bets for all new customers. Sign up here
• If you're a new customer, Tote are offering you a free bet. Sign up here

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