The 2027 Cheltenham Festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March, and the ante-post markets for the big races are already well formed. This page covers the early betting for the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, the contenders worth following through the winter, and how to approach ante-post betting without giving away value.
Last updated: October 2026. Prices quoted are early-season guides from August and September 2026 and will move as the season develops, so always check the latest odds before betting.
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What is ante-post betting?
Ante-post betting means backing a horse weeks or months before the race, rather than on the day. The appeal is price: if you find a horse before its form improves or its target becomes clear, you can lock in odds far bigger than it will start at in March.
The risk is that, under standard ante-post rules, your stake is lost if the horse doesn’t run. Horses get injured, miss the Festival or switch to a different race, so it is worth checking whether a bookmaker is offering non-runner no bet (NRNB) terms. Where NRNB applies, you get your stake back if your horse doesn’t line up, which removes much of the downside.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027 ante-post
Willie Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior won the 2026 Gold Cup impressively and heads the market to defend his crown, at around 2/1 in late summer. Jango Baie, second in the 2026 race, was next in the betting at around 7/1.
Behind them the market opens up. Inothewayurthinkin won the race in 2025 and was third in 2026, so he has proven Gold Cup form at a bigger price. The Jukebox Man earned his place in the conversation by winning the 2025 King George at Kempton, while Final Demand, Lulamba, Kitzbuhel and Fact To File were all in the 16/1 to 20/1 bracket.
Our angle: a defending champion at around 2/1 this far out offers little value, because so much can go wrong between now and March. The more interesting ante-post bets are usually second-season chasers who are still improving, so watch the King George on Boxing Day and the Dublin Racing Festival in February for horses stepping forward. Read our full Gold Cup tips as the race takes shape.
Champion Hurdle 2027 ante-post
Lossiemouth won the 2026 Champion Hurdle for Willie Mullins, becoming the eighth mare to win the race and extending her perfect Festival record. She leads the 2027 betting at around 5/2.
Brighterdaysahead, who chased her home in the 2026 Champion Hurdle, went on to beat The New Lion and Alexei at Aintree and is the obvious danger. Among the British-trained contenders, Dan Skelton has confirmed that Mydaddypaddy, third in the 2026 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, will stay over hurdles this season.
Our angle: Lossiemouth sets a high standard, but mares always have the option of the Mares’ Hurdle, and she was switched between the two races in previous seasons. That makes NRNB terms especially important if you want to back her now. See our Champion Hurdle odds page for the latest market.
Champion Chase 2027 ante-post
The 2026 Queen Mother Champion Chase went to Il Etait Temps, who won by ten lengths at 5/2 after his odds-on stablemate Majborough made a race-ending blunder. Il Etait Temps then followed up in the Punchestown Champion Chase, and heads the 2027 betting at around 2/1.
Kopek Des Bordes was next at around 4/1, with Kargese, who beat him in the 2026 Arkle, also prominent. Majborough remains a high-class talent, but he looks more likely to step up in trip this season. Willie Mullins trains most of the leading contenders in this market.
Our angle: the rematch between the 2026 Arkle principals, Kargese and Kopek Des Bordes, is one to follow through the winter, as the winner of their next meeting is likely to shorten considerably. Read our Champion Chase tips for more.
Key trials to watch before Cheltenham
Ante-post markets move most around the big trial races, so these are the meetings to follow if you want to get ahead of the market. Cheltenham’s own November meeting and December meeting give the first clues about who handles the track. The King George at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown are key Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle pointers. Cheltenham’s Trials Day in late January and the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in early February are the final major tests before declarations.
When should you bet ante-post?
There is no single right time. Betting early gives you the biggest prices but the highest risk of non-runners. Waiting until after the Dublin Racing Festival gives you much more information, but the market will have caught up by then. A common approach is to take small early positions on horses you are confident about, using NRNB where available, and keep most of your budget until the targets are clearer in February.
For our strongest views closer to the Festival, see our Cheltenham Festival bankers and the day-by-day guides on our Cheltenham Festival tips hub.
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