British bookmaker William Hill says the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival delivered the most profitable single day in the event’s history for the company, driven by a string of losses by heavily backed favorites.
The evoke‑owned operator said March 11 produced exceptional results as several top‑of‑the‑market runners — including Be Aware, Majborough, No Drama This End and Romeo Coolio — were beaten, leading to significant losses for bettors.
Festival Expected to Generate Nearly £450 Million in Wagers
The Cheltenham Festival remains one of the busiest weeks of the year for UK sportsbooks, with 28 races across four days. William Hill, which sponsors the William Hill County Hurdle on Gold Cup Day, projected that British bettors would wager up to £450 million during the festival.
“The battle between us and the punters over the four days of the Cheltenham Festival is unrivalled in jumps racing,” the company said in a statement, calling the week “hugely important” for operators.
Opening Day Delivers Historic Win for the Bookmaker
William Hill said the combination of multiple short‑priced favorites losing on March 11 made it the most profitable Cheltenham Festival day in the company’s history.
“With No Drama This End, Romeo Coolio, Majborough and Be Aware all suffering defeats at the head of the market, the Wednesday of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival will go down as William Hill’s most profitable day at the meeting,” the operator said.
The company added that only a handful of Grand National renewals have produced a larger single‑day profit for its horse‑racing book.
