Champion Chase 2027 Tips - Pre-season guide and selections

Having always been a little underrated, considering his glittering CV, Il Etait Temps ended last season as the top two-mile chaser in the sport. Willie Mullins' dazzling grey won the Tingle Creek at Sandown and bounced back from a fall in the Clarence House by claiming impressive victories in the Champion Chases at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

Despite those spring festival heroics, you can pick holes in both races. For example, the enigmatic Majborough completely blew out on both occasions, finishing tailed off after travelling too exuberantly. Il Etait Temps could even afford a shuddering error at the final fence at Cheltenham and still beat a modest field by ten lengths before recording a five-length victory at Punchestown over Marine Nationale, who had missed Cheltenham through injury.

Take nothing away from Il Etait Temps. He's clearly an incredibly classy racehorse. Yet I'd be disappointed if something couldn't surpass the defending champion during the course of the campaign.

This year's Arkle saw Kargese get the better of stablemate Kopek Des Bordes in a finish that thrilled the Cheltenham faithful. Willie Mullins' pair shrugged off the attentions of Lulamba on the turn for home, and just when it seemed like Kopek Des Bordes was about to hit the front, Paul Townend's mount made an error at the final fence, allowing Kargese to battle back under Danny Mullins and claim a famous victory.

My reservations about Kargese's jumping were proven wrong at the Festival, and she'll be a big player heading into the new season. Kopek Des Bordes, meanwhile, went on to suffer further disappointment at Punchestown, where he took a crashing fall at the second-last when leading comfortably, opening the door for Salvator Mundi to claim a fortuitous Grade One victory.

Salvator Mundi had skipped Cheltenham for Aintree, only to bump into Mirabad, who produced a stunning performance to beat the favourite in the Maghull Novices' Chase. Harry Cobden was in the saddle to capitalise at Punchestown after Kopek Des Bordes' tumble, and it's possible we could see further progress from Salvator Mundi during his second season over fences.

Mirabad had shown nothing in his five previous starts over fences to suggest that a Grade One triumph was in the offing, and Dan Skelton's seven-year-old has to prove that win wasn't a fluke this season. Irish Panther was beaten 24 lengths in the Champion Chase and was left for dead as Salvator Mundi set sail for home at Punchestown. I can't see him being a player at the highest level this season.

Willie Mullins has intimated that Majborough will step up in distance this season. Yet if he does learn how to race efficiently, I wouldn't be shocked to see him turn up in another Champion Chase. Marine Nationale will be a ten-year-old by the time the 2027 Cheltenham Festival comes around, but Barry Connell's former Supreme winner and the 2025 Champion Chaser is ultra-talented, and Festival form can never be underestimated.

There was talk of a potential Champion Chase tilt for French four-year-old Metronomique before Noel George's gelding was comfortably beaten at Grade Three level this month. Dinoblue will remain in mares' company, despite showing throughout her career that she's got the quality to contend in the Champion Chase.

L'Eau Du Sud won't get a better chance to win the Champion Chase than he did last season. Lulamba is unlikely to be seen over two miles this season, and Only By Night has plenty to find if she wants to be a Champion Chase contender.

We then get down to the likes of Jax Junior, Libberty Hunter, Steel Ally and Quilixios. Barton Snow even features in the betting. All are commendable chasers in their own right, but none really have any hope of winning the Queen Mother in 2027.

The two from last year's Arkle seem the most likely to dethrone Il Etait Temps. Kopek Des Bordes has some jumping problems to iron out, but he's sure to improve with experience, and Willie Mullins' former Supreme winner has stacks of ability. Kargese is now a two-time Cheltenham Festival winner, and she too has the quality to claim this historic crown.

If I were going to take a flyer on something at a price, the name that springs to mind is KOKTAIL DIVIN (20/1). Henry de Bromhead is yet to run his Grade One winner over two miles over fences, and as a result, he's only been priced up with a couple of firms.

Henry de Bromhead loves the Champion Chase. He's won it on four occasions, both with fancied runners and classy outsiders that have caused an upset. At this moment in time, de Bromhead only has the ageing Quilixios in his potential Champion Chase team, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Koktail Divin dropped into the two-mile division.

Following an emphatic victory at Leopardstown over Christmas, de Bromhead threw his six-year-old into the Brown Advisory. Darragh O'Keeffe's mount jumped as well as anyone throughout that Grade One but ran out of gas as Kitzbuhel and Final Demand moved on to fight out the finish, crossing the line a one-paced fifth. Back down over two and a half miles at Aintree, Koktail Divin looked much more comfortable and made the most of a surprising unseat by favourite Lulamba to beat Blueking d'Oroux in the Manifesto.

Being able to jump and travel at pace is the most crucial attribute for a Champion Chaser, and Koktail Divin seems able to do just that. De Bromhead has his star entered in a three-mile chase at Wexford later this month (The Big Westerner is also entered), and he features in the betting for the King George. Yet having proven that he doesn't see out three miles twice as a novice, I feel like connections would be missing a trick by not exploring shorter distances with this fantastic jumper. Koktail Divin is certainly an intriguing horse to follow during the 2026/27 season.