Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027 Tips - Pre-season guide and selections

Gaelic Warrior was superb in last year's Gold Cup. Paul Townend's mount jumped and travelled like the best horse throughout, and once he was angled out and asked for an effort, Willie Mullins' star put the race to bed in the blink of an eye.

Willie campaigned Gaelic Warrior pretty hard last season, running him in the John Durkan, the King George and the Irish Gold Cup en route to Cheltenham. Mullins' eight-year-old didn't seem like he'd had a hard season when he rocked up at the Punchestown Festival, though, thrashing Fact To File by 26 lengths to end the campaign on a massive rating of 180.

No chasers have managed to surpass that mark since the days of Kauto Star and Denman. Even Galopin Des Champs was never rated higher than 180. Given his age, there's every chance Gaelic Warrior could find further improvement and end this season on an even loftier rating. At this moment in time, he's by far the classiest staying chaser around.

Jango Baie finished strongly to take second behind Gaelic Warrior in the Gold Cup before cruising to victory in the Bowl at Aintree. Sadly, Nicky Henderson's star has suffered a setback and won't be seen until the new year, which means he'll likely head to Newbury for the Denman Chase before going back to the Gold Cup. With such a prep, I can't see a world in which Jango Baie reverses that form with Gaelic Warrior.

A cloud now hangs over Final Demand after he was stripped of his runner-up finish in the Brown Advisory following a positive test for a banned substance. Fact To File needs to bounce back too, after being thrashed by his stablemate at Punchestown. Both clearly have the quality to run in a Gold Cup, but at their current prices, neither is worth backing against the market leader.

Brown Advisory winner Kitzbuhel will likely head down the King George route, having won the Kauto Star at Kempton last season. Lulamba is also on course for that blockbuster at Kempton, with Nicky Henderson keen to explore three miles this season. Horses coming out of novice company have usually performed well in the Gold Cup, and both retain plenty of potential. Either would be a worthy challenger to Gaelic Warrior.

2025 Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin did well to finish third in the race this year, following a dreadful prep for the contest. Gavin Cromwell will run his former champion at Grade One level again this term, but if his early appearances don't go to plan once again, the Grand National will surely come into the equation.

Soldier In Milan sits just behind I Am Maximus in the betting for that massive handicap at Aintree. Emmet Mullins' star absolutely bolted up in the Irish Grand National, producing a performance that was worthy of Grade One company, let alone a premier handicap.

Kaid d'Authie fell at the midway stage in the Brown Advisory, having been backed into 4/1 before the off, and remains open to further progress in staying chases. Romeo Coolio won three Grade Ones during his novice campaign and could progress into a Gold Cup challenger, should he find some extra stamina reserves as he gets older.

Majborough, Oscars Brother and Spillane's Tower could represent JP McManus, while The Big Westerner has been talked about as a possible challenger for multiple Gold Cup-winning trainer Henry de Bromhead.

Having missed all of last season, Grade One winner Caldwell Potter will be aimed at the Gold Cup by Paul Nicholls this term. Two-time Grand National placer Iroko looks set to make his reappearance in the Betfair Chase this season, and he's the type who could rise to the Gold Cup challenge if everything goes to plan in the build-up.

Jagwar could also emerge as a potential Gold Cup contender for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, while French trainer François Nicolle has stated that Cheltenham is the aim for top six-year-old Kingland, despite the fact that he's never jumped fences in public before.

We then reach the 100/1 outsiders, and there are a couple of names to note in this section. Wendigo looks set to be aimed at the Coral Gold Cup and could take another step forward this term. Regents Stroll and Sixmilebridge also seem set for that big handicap at Newbury, which has produced Gold Cup winners in the past. Haiti Couleurs and Djelo are also worthy of a shout-out.

A few days after last year's Cheltenham Festival wrapped up, I backed Gaelic Warrior to win the 2027 Gold Cup at 4/1. Willie Mullins' star is now as short as 15/8, before a ball has even been kicked, so to speak. That's an incredibly short price for this stage of the season, but then again, if he turns up in the same form as last season, I can't see anything stopping him.

If you're looking for an each-way alternative to kick off your ante-post punting for the season, I'd encourage you to look at the second-season novices. Lulamba and Kitzbuhel would be at the top of that list, and I can't wait for their clash in the King George. Kaid d'Authie remains a bit of a mystery horse, and The Big Westerner retains untapped potential over fences.

SOLDIER IN MILAN (33/1) interests me most at the current price. Despite winning just once in four starts earlier in the season, Emmet Mullins' youngster was backed off the boards for the Irish Grand National and went on to produce a breathtaking performance.

Donagh Meyler's mount settled nicely behind the leaders on the rail and tanked his way through the first three-quarters of that marathon handicap. Soldier In Milan jumped into a share of the lead at the three-mile stage and put further distance between himself and the pack with every fence. Another clean leap at the last sealed victory for Mullins' favourite, and Soldier In Milan streaked 16 lengths clear in the final 200 yards.

Unbeaten in two bumpers, Mullins' star was quickly sent over hurdles. Soldier In Milan has always looked like a staying chaser and received a mark of 157 for that romp in the Irish National. That sort of rating would be ideal for a tilt at the Grand National, and if we see Soldier In Milan running over hurdles at the beginning of the season, then it's clear that Emmet is targeting Aintree.

Yet, there's no doubt that Soldier In Milan has the potential to be a Grade One operator. If he shows further progress over fences during the first half of the campaign, the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival will have to come into Mullins' reckoning.