If there was one race at the Cheltenham Festival in which a free bet would help any punter it has to be the Coral Cup. The extended three mile contest is well known for being one of the most difficult races to solve given it is one of the few all age handicaps at the four-day meeting.

Don't despair. Here at freebet.co.uk we have put together some trends to help you find a horse capable of giving you a run for your money.We can't promise you the winner but you should certainly be able to narrow down the field and put that free bet to good use.

1) Ignore the price. No clues here with a 4/1 favourite, 33/1 shots and all prrices in between landing this contest in the past ten years.

2) Look for the more well known trainers. Although the reltively unknown Dr Newlands won the contest last season with Burntoakboy, the race tends to go to the more household name handlers. The Pipe stable do well in this race but not always with their first string.

3) Only one five-year-old has won the race in the past ten years. Stick with the older horses but perhaps discount those aged in double figures!

4) Last time out winners have a good record. Four out of the last five winners were successful in their previous outing.

5) Don't make the Coral Cup the race to pick your Cheltenham banker. No amount of free bets will help you turn a profit if this is your strategy!