Cheltenham Festival 2027 ante-post guides
Updated 21 October 2026. Ante-post markets move a lot before March, so we refresh this guide after the key trials.
The Gold Cup is jump racing's championship race for staying chasers, run at level weights over just over three and a quarter miles on the final day of the Festival. Gaelic Warrior won it by eight lengths in March and then took the Punchestown Gold Cup by 26 lengths, so he's a clear favourite at around 9/4. Runner-up Jango Baie is next in the betting but has had a setback and isn't expected back until the new year.
Gaelic Warrior is the best horse in the race on form, but he'll be nine, and the last three defending champions of that age were all beaten. Jango Baie will be eight, has won an Arkle and finished second in a Gold Cup at Cheltenham, and won a Grade 1 since, so The Selector is siding with him, as long as he's back from his setback in time for a proper trial.
| Every winner aged 7 or 8 | Four of the last 10 winners were seven and six were eight, and no horse aged nine or older has won since 2017. |
| Nine-year-old champions have failed to defend | Al Boum Photo (2021), A Plus Tard (2023) and Galopin Des Champs (2025) all came back at nine and were beaten, while the two champions who defended at eight both won again. |
| Irish-trained winners 9 of 10 | Ireland has won eight renewals in a row since 2019, and the last British-trained winner was Native River for Colin Tizzard in 2018. |
| Willie Mullins has won 5 of the last 8 | Mullins won in 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2026, and Henry de Bromhead won the other two Irish renewals in that run (2021 and 2022). |
| Paul Townend rode 5 of the 10 winners | He rode all five of the Mullins winners: Al Boum Photo twice, Galopin Des Champs twice and Gaelic Warrior. |
| All 10 winners finished in the first four last time out | Six had won their previous race, two were second and two (Minella Indo and Inothewayurthinkin) were fourth. |
| No winner bigger than 12/1 | Winning starting prices ranged from 10/11 (Galopin Des Champs, 2024) to 12/1 (Al Boum Photo, 2019), so a genuine outsider hasn't won in this period. |
| Favourites won 5 of 10 | That includes Gaelic Warrior, joint-favourite in 2026, but Galopin Des Champs was beaten at 8/13 in 2025, a reminder that short prices can still lose. |
He won the 2026 Gold Cup by eight lengths from Jango Baie and followed up by 26 lengths in the Punchestown Gold Cup. He also won the 2024 Arkle, so he's proven at the track.
Against: He'll be nine in March, and the last three defending champions of that age were all beaten.
He won the 2025 Arkle, was runner-up in this year's Gold Cup and then won the Bowl at Aintree easily. He'll be eight next March, the right age on recent trends.
Against: He's reportedly had a setback that will keep him off until the new year, and he has eight lengths to find with the favourite.
He made all to win the Kauto Star at Kempton and the Brown Advisory at the Festival as a novice, and he'll be seven, which fits the age profile.
Against: He pulled up as 4/5 favourite at Punchestown on his latest start, and pundits doubt he stays an extra half-mile.
He beat Gaelic Warrior by five lengths in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, so on his day he's top class.
Against: He'll be ten in March and was beaten 26 lengths by Gaelic Warrior at Punchestown.
He won this race in 2025 and stayed on for third in 2026 after a poor preparation, so the course and trip clearly suit him.
Against: He'll be nine and his jumping was error-prone last season, with a fall in the Irish Gold Cup and a 37-length defeat at Punchestown.
He was a top-class novice chaser, winning the Henry VIII at Sandown and the Game Spirit at Newbury, and his trainer is reportedly keen to step him up to three miles.
Against: All his chase runs have been at around two miles, he was only third in the Arkle and he's untested anywhere near this trip.
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