Christmas is here for horse racing fans with the biggest event of the calendar, the 2025 Cheltenham Festival taking centre stage from March 11 to March 14.

The big names such as Galopin Des Champs, Jonbon and Constitutional Hill all return to the historic racecourse to wow the crowds once again with punters looking to have another memorable Cheltenham moment.

How to claim your Free Bets and daily special offers from NetBet

NetBet are releasing an enhanced version of their already brilliant welcome offer, which will see you rewarded with a £10 Free Bet and 25 Free Spins when you bet £10 on any sport.

There is also another brilliant Cheltenham Festival offer for customers new and old to get their teeth stuck into.

When you bet £20 a day on the Cheltenham races which are live on ITV, 10 Free Spins will be credited to your account.

NetBet will have special sports betting offers each day of the Cheltenham Festival for customers.

On Day 1, if you bet £10 on the first race at odds of 1/1 or more, you’ll receive a £5 Free Bet.

Day 2’s offer will see you get your money back up to £10 as a Free Bet if the horse you back finishes second or third behind the SP favourite.

On Day 3 of the Festival, you’ll receive your money back up to £10 as a Free Bet if your horse in an ITV race finishes second to the starting price favourite (odds 3/1 or more),

Finally, the Day 4 promo sees you rewarded with a £10 Free Bet if your horse doesn’t win when you place a £10 bet on the first race.

On top of these offers, there’s also a free-to-play Wheel of Sportune game from NetBet. Simply spin the wheel daily to be in with a chance of winning up to £20 in Free Bets.

As well as all the brilliant sporting action ready to unfold, NetBet Casino Online is full of unique games which horse racing fans can enjoy throughout the Festival.

Slingo Racing and Slingo Constitution Hill provide a thrilling ride, while Play’n Go’s Derby Hill and Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass Day at the Races are so evenly matched for quality that we may need a photo finish to decide the winner!

New customers of NetBet Casino can check out their brilliant welcome offer, with up to 500 Free Spins as a reward for a £10 deposit.

When does Cheltenham begin?

The races get underway each day at 1:30pm with the Festival starting Tuesday 11th March and ending Friday 14th March. The main race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is on Friday at 4:00pm

Terms and Conditions

NetBet prides itself on being an industry-leading platform when it comes to player safety and welfare.

Its responsible gambling page provides many tips and tools for all players to use, including deposit/loss limits, session timeouts, self-exclusion and information on a variety of respected gambling support charities.

NetBet is a real money gambling site.

Please gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford.

You must be 18 or over and registered with NetBet to participate in any casino activity.

Full details can be found on NetBet’s website: https://www.netbet.co.uk/

Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a grizzly new biopic directed by David Michôd.

The project, which is yet to be given a title, will depict the real-life story of one of America‘s most notorious female boxers.

Christy Martin – who was the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated – was an incredibly talented fighter and found fame when she signed with promoter Don King.

Sydney Sweeney is set to portray boxer Christy Martin. (Al Bello/Allsport//Getty Images)

Speaking to The Guardian about her success as a female boxer, Martin said: “We were all just struggling to get a break. And for whatever reason, I was just lucky and in the right place at the right time.

“Jesse Robinson, who was training fighters for Don King, saw me training in a gym in Daytona Beach, Florida. And after a while he told me, ‘I’m gonna take you to Don.’ I’m thinking, ‘Sure you are.’

“But then I get a call one day and Jesse says, ‘Don wants to see you.’ I jumped in the car, drove down to Deerfield Beach and signed the contract.”

But behind her boxing persona, Martin struggled with substance abuse, domestic violence and was almost killed in a devastating attack.

On November 23, 2010, Martin was approached in her bedroom by her husband at the time, Jim, who was armed with a knife and gun.

Despite being stabbed four times and shot in the chest, Martin miraculously survived.

The actor admitted she loves ‘challenging’ herself. (Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media/Getty Images)

Speaking to Deadline, Sweeney explained she’s ready to take on the challenge of telling Martin’s story.

“I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old. I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body. Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding, there’s a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself,” she said.

“Christy Martin not only legitimized female boxing, she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse.

“I’m passionate about the fighting world, Christy’s story shines a light on her incredible rise to the top while showing the struggles of fame behind the curtains. I feel compelled to tell a story about a woman who faced so much adversity and didn’t allow it to defeat her. It’s powerful, and emotional.”

Martin was the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. (Holly Stein/Allsport//Getty Images)

Director Michôd added: “I have a history of making movies about damaged men and I’d been wanting to make a film about a woman with a ferocious energy inside her.

“When I came across the Christy Martin story two years ago I knew I’d found it. Her ferocity is intelligible and justifiable and audiences will crave it because of the circumstances she was forced to endure.”

Sydney Sweeney has revealed that her dad and grandfather walked out of the room after watching her in a particularly risqué role.

The 27-year-old actress has enjoyed a glittering career since bursting onto the scene, appearing in projects such as Anyone but You, Immaculate and The White Lotus.

However, the actress has also learned that a career in Hollywood isn’t always as fun as it looks, especially when it comes to the topic of sexually explicit content and family members.

Some of Sydney Sweeney’s family were left a little shocked by the role (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

One of the most recognisable roles of Sweeney’s was her breakout role as Cassie Howard in HBO’s Euphoria.

Set in a fictional high school in California, the gritty teen series tackles numerous heavy topics – such as drug abuse, revenge porn, mental illness and dating violence. Cassie’s storylines in particular revolved included abortion, infidelity and low self-esteem due to hyper-sexualisation.

The series has since received praise from critics and fans for its decision to boldly tackle heavy storylines. However, it has also meant that its cast was left in an awkward position when it came to friends and family.

Recalling her relative’s reactions to the show, Sweeney explained that her mum was fully aware of the explicit nature of the series as she had visited her numerous times on set – however, she didn’t pre-warn her dad at all about the role.

“My mum visited me on set quite a few times, so she knew the story,” she said in an interview with NBC’s Sunday Today last year, before adding with a laugh: “I didn’t prepare my dad at all.”

Sweeney starred as Cassie Howard in Euphoria (HBO)

This only became a problem when her father decided to hold a viewing party for the show with none other than Sweeney’s grandparents without telling her, who were shocked by what they witnessed on screen.

“My dad and my grandpa turned it off and walked out,” she admitted.

However, not everyone in the room was left feeling a little embarrassed, with the actress going on to add that her grandma hadn’t been phased.

“My grandma… she’s a fan. She’s a big supporter,” Sweeney added.

“I bring her all over the world to my different sets and I make her an extra.”

So it’s safe to say that grandma Sweeney will likely be tuning in for Euphoria season 3… if the series ever comes to fruition.

Commissioned back in February 2022, production on the third outing has faced numerous setbacks due to the now-resolved Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, as well as busy schedules of cast members such as Jacob Elordi and Zendaya.

HBO has since confirmed that production will begin in early 2025, with a release date yet to be confirmed.

Most people wouldn’t have the heart to turn down a bloke donning a huge duck costume who was brave enough to shoot their shot on live TV, but Sydney Sweeney had no qualms about hitting back with an absolutely savage response.

To be fair, he’s absolutely quackers for thinking it could work – especially as the Euphoria actress, 27, has been engaged to businessman Jonathan Davino as of October 2023 – but fair play to him all the same.

Viewers tuning into ESPN’s College GameDay coverage on Saturday (12 October) were left stunned when they spotted the University of Oregon’s mascot making a bid for Sweeney‘s affections in the background.

As the presenters made their predictions ahead of Ohio State’s showdown against their rivals, college football fans watching from home couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted the duck trying his luck.

The Oregon Duck tried to shoot his shot with Sydney Sweeney during ESPN’s coverage of the college football clash (X/ESPN)

The mascot appeared as though he was nearly dislocating his shoulder while attempting to get his sign in the shot.

It simply read: “Sydney Sweeney call me back.”

Straight to the point, you’ve got to respect his game – although I’m sure Davino wasn’t too impressed by it.

Social media users went wild after spotting the tongue-in-cheek sign and took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

One laughed: “That duck knows what’s up!”

Another wrote: “The Oregon Duck is the greatest mascot in the history of this planet. I will take no arguments on this.”

A third chimed in: “The Oregon Duck always has got jokes. Love it!”

The actress, 27, hit back with a hilarious response on social media (Instagram/@sydney_sweeney)

A fourth added: “Honestly, the Oregon Duck living that relatable life – chaotic, energetic, and always stealing the show!”

While a fifth joked: “She never called you back either…I know the feeling haha.”

But it turns out that Sweeney has an explanation for why she’s apparently been blanking phone calls left, right and centre.

The Anyone But You star took to her Instagram stories to respond to The Oregon Duck’s declaration of interest after it went viral, while sharing a snap of him holding the comical sign.

Sweeney wrote alongside the image: “Sorry. Changed my number haha.”

A nice way to duck out of a potential date with a random man in a waterfowl costume, to be fair.

Let’s hope the rejection was like water off a duck’s back for him, anyway – and Oregon did end up bagging a win over Ohio State in the end too, so maybe that guy is a lucky duck after all.

Right – that’s the last ducking joke, I swear.