Road To Cheltenham's Ante Post Picks for the 2027 Festival

I enjoyed a fantastic week at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, not just from a punting perspective but also on a personal level. It was great to catch up with racing fans on the Tuesday at Prestbury Park while the discussions continued in the WhatsApp chats for the rest of the week with the action on the television.

The on-track action was more competitive than ever, with the average starting price of every winner at the meeting at 14/1. Despite that, my daily Oddschecker columns were a huge success, with three winning NAPs and a total profit of 20.45 points over the four days. Here’s to hoping I can replicate that sort of form at Aintree next month.

Looking even further into the distance, I’ve already landed on a few selections for the 2027 Cheltenham Festival. With the markets forming in the immediate aftermath of this year’s meeting, there is an opportunity for punters to get involved and here are my three ante-post tips for Cheltenham 2027.

Cheltenham 2027 Tips

OLD PARK STAR – Arkle Novices Chase (9/2)

I’m a huge fan of OLD PARK STAR and I loved the way he showed his battling qualities to get up and pull clear in the Supreme. He is uncomplicated and jockey Nico de Boinville has always spoken about how straightforward he is, and the fact that nothing seems to phase him is a huge positive.

Involved in some ‘rough and tumble’ with Mydaddypaddy and Sober Glory up the home straight, Nicky Henderson’s runner found plenty for pressure and you’d love his attitude up the hill. He certainly didn’t shirk a battle and I’d say they learned plenty that day – he is certainly a hugely exciting prospect for connections.

With Dan Skelton coming out and saying his horse may go down the Champion Hurdle route and plans up in the air for Sober Glory too, Old Park Star sets the standard in this division. There will be one or two curveballs from left-field I’m sure but he is the clear form pick in the race and I like how he’ll be given a long break ahead of next season.

I compared him to the legendary Altior in one of my pre-Festival columns and he really does remind me of the Seven Barrows stalwart. As is the case with Nicky Henderson’s top novice chase prospects, I’d imagine he will stick to the two-mile route and he looks tailor-made for the Arkle. 9/2 is a fair price for that race at this moment in time.

THE NEW LION – Stayers Hurdle (16/1)

You could argue that the ground went against THE NEW LION a little bit at Cheltenham but I would dispute that. I think we learned that he’s not a two-miler and I’d expect him

to be much more at home in the 2m4 Aintree Hurdle if he lines up on the opening day of the Grand National meeting next month.

He is a strong traveller but his pedigree is laden with stamina and I’d be amazed if he failed to get three miles in time. Given the opportunity, that could be next year – and I really hope connections decide to target the 2027 Stayers Hurdle. If they do, I’m finding it difficult to see him outside of the first three.

Looking closer at his page – he is a half-brother to El Presente, who recorded a best RPR of 152 over 3m5f and a full brother to Kateira, who also recorded a best RPR of 145 over three miles. By Kayf Tara and out of an Astarabad dam, the dam sire has produced the likes of Whisper, Traffic Fluide and Roi Du Val – and all three won over 2m7f or further.

There is space for a ‘new kid on the block’ in the staying division and a win at Aintree may see Dan Skelton and JP McManus go down that route with The New Lion in the autumn. At 16/1, he’s well worth an each way play and he could shorten if he ends up being the main player in the British Graded races in the build-up to March.

ONLY BY NIGHT – Mares Chase (12/1)

I backed ONLY BY NIGHT for this year’s Mares Chase and I’ve done the same for next year’s race – but I’m actually more confident ahead of the 2027 renewal. Connections were stepping into the unknown a little bit this season, with Gavin Cromwell mentioning minor reservations over the step up in trip prior to the Festival.

She was given a ride with a view to staying the 2m5f trip on the New Course and there is absolutely no doubt in mind that she stayed the extended distance. Next year, they will be able to adopt a more aggressive approach on her in a bid to try and unsettle Dinoblue – if of course she stays in training for one more season.

There have been no whispers of broodmare duties for Only By Night so I’m guessing that she will remain in training. She handles her racing well and is fairly versatile with regards to ground, and that is a key factor for me when backing ante-post. She’s now rated 152 over fences and 12/1 looks a big price when you consider the state of the division.

If Dinoblue ends up heading to the breeding sheds, I’d imagine that the Robcour-owned mare will shorten considerably. There are several above her in the betting who are very unlikely to go down this route and Brighterdaysahead is currently the second favourite and she is yet to jump a fence in public. Back Only By Night at 12/1 while it lasts.