It is never too early to start thinking about the Cheltenham Festival, and with the jumps season now in full swing, there is value to be found in the ante-post markets for March. GG tipster Joe Napier picks out one each-way bet for each day of the 2027 Festival.
Champion Hurdle – William Munny (1pt E/W 40/1)
After 416 days off, there was no shame in WILLIAM MUNNY mixing it at the top level with established Grade 1 hurdlers at Punchestown back in May. Barry Connell’s charge carried such a reputation from his distant novice days that he was second favourite despite his time off the track. He travelled favourably, if not anything like heavy odds-on favourite Lossiemouth, but ran out of puff late on.
He will be rising nine in January, but the Westerner gelding was on a heady trajectory in 2024/25. He won a Listed Punchestown race by 15 lengths before pushing Kopek Des Bordes all the way in that season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. That form is rock solid, so with a clearer run through this season, he could easily progress into a proper each-way contender for the Champion Hurdle and may only need Lossiemouth to fluff her lines.
Champion Chase – Salvator Mundi (1pt E/W 40/1)
It can be a case of predicting the unpredictable with SALVATOR MUNDI, but he is undoubtedly high class when he puts it all together. There were loud whispers about the Donnelly-owned six-year-old when he made his juvenile hurdling debut in no less than the Triumph Hurdle in 2024, where he finished sixth to stablemate Majborough.
He has since enjoyed the spotlight in winning by 62 lengths at Tipperary and, more recently, winning a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree and a similar prize over fences at Punchestown. He flip-flopped between winning at Aintree and finishing second at Punchestown as a novice hurdler, and the reverse over fences, demonstrating that he is not straightforward to get right. He generally looks a sound jumper despite his Aintree exploits, unlike Kopek Des Bordes, and could be very dangerous in the Champion Chase if his chosen jockey can keep a lid on things.
Mares’ Hurdle – Place De La Nation (1pt E/W 16/1)
This is a market full of uncertainty, with Wodhooh upset at Punchestown and possibly going up in trip, while Brighterdaysahead has her Cheltenham hoodoo to contend with. It may be a case of Gordon Elliott being frustrated one way or another by Willie Mullins yet again, with PLACE DE LA NATION of most ante-post interest in the Mares’ Hurdle.
The Gigginstown mare remained a maiden for a novice campaign last season after having been a close fifth at 100/1 in the 2025 Triumph Hurdle. After two odds-on victories, she originally found Graded company too hot, though was in close attendance again at Cheltenham when third in the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at 28/1. An even closer second followed at Fairyhouse before she shocked both Wodhooh and neighbour Jade De Grugy when upped to open mares’ company at Punchestown in May. That Mares’ Champion Hurdle success at the season-ending festival was a shock but not a fluke, and she could well prove the highest-ranking mare by this campaign’s conclusion.
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Soldier In Milan (1pt E/W 25/1)
Gaelic Warrior is by far the most tempting of Mullins’ short-priced defending champions to go in again. His stablemates, Kitzbuhel and Final Demand, led the way among the staying novice chasers last season, but neither boasts the explosiveness of the extraordinarily easy 2026 winner.
Nevertheless, fitness can never be taken for granted and if there is a left-field springer, it is probably nephew Emmet Mullins’ SOLDIER IN MILAN that may be the one. The seven-year-old easily won a point-to-point and beat King Rasko Grey with little fuss in a bumper in 2025. He was pulled up on his chase debut and took some time to learn his job, but his abilities came to fruition when running away with the Irish Grand National by 16 lengths in April. He is now tentatively rated 157, still at least a stone-and-a-half below the requirements of a championship winner. However, his ceiling is surely far from having been reached and it will be difficult to get him favourably weighted for a race like the Grand National. If connections roll the dice in his preparations, he could be the only horse capable of reaching Gaelic Warrior’s coattails in the Gold Cup.
