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Eye On Cheltenham 2027 Week 1 - Skerry Hill and Johnnys Jury appear amongst early season movers

jon-vine
Jon Vine
Editor
Last updated: Tue 03 Nov 2026 10:12
Eye On Cheltenham 2027 Week 1 reviews early market movers for next year's Festival. Kabral Du Mathan was cut to 11/2 for the Arkle Challenge Trophy after a dominant chasing debut at Perth. Witches Familiar now heads the Mares' Novices' Hurdle market, having secured three wide-margin victories this season. Johnnys Jury began his novice chase campaign with a win, and Skerry Hill remains prominent in novice hurdle betting. These performances have already influenced the ante-post landscape for Cheltenham 2027, highlighting horses to watch as the National Hunt season progresses.
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  • Week 1 of our Eye On Cheltenham 2027 series
  • Important meetings have recently taken place at Cheltenham, Carlisle and Down Royal
  • Kabral Du Mathan, Johnnys Jury and Witches Familiar feature in this list of Cheltenham Festival market movers
Kabral Du Mathan
Harry Skelton riding Kabral Du Mathan (blue/white) clear the last to win The Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdleat Cheltenham. (Getty)

Here's week one of our Eye On Cheltenham 2027 series, listing key Cheltenham Festival market movers from the early weeks of the new National Hunt season.

The 2026/27 jumps season is now in full swing, and the thoughts of many have already turned to the Cheltenham Festival. For week one of our new Eye On Cheltenham series, we've produced this round-up of horses who've made early-season moves in the Festival betting.

Eye On Cheltenham 2027 - Week 1


Championship Races


Gold Cup

Although none of the big guns in the staying chase division have been seen yet this term, there have been a couple of notable movements in the Gold Cup betting.

Haiti Couleurs was cut into 40/1 after opening his account at Grade One level with a front-running victory in the Ladbrokes Champions Chase at Down Royal. Wendigo made a winning return to action in the Colin Parker at Carlisle, and Jamie Snowden's Coral Gold Cup contender was cut into 66/1 for the 2027 Gold Cup.

Western Fold entered the betting at 100/1 following his victory in the American Grand National. Handstands was made a 125/1 chance for the Gold Cup after following the excellent Pic d'Orhy home in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Champion Hurdle

Wilful landed the spoils in the Panoramic Hurdle at Carlisle last month and entered the Champion Hurdle betting at 33/1. Heads Up entered the market at 50/1 after winning the Grade Two at Down Royal last week.

Novice Hurdles


Supreme Novices' Hurdle

One of the first big movers in the Supreme market was Love Me Tender. Willie Mullins' German recruit bolted up on his hurdle debut at the Listowel Harvest Festival, earning quotes of 16/1 for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival.

Skerry Hill justified odds of 2/13 to win at Down Royal this weekend, and Gordon Elliott's exciting five-year-old can also be backed at 16/1. Dan Skelton's Aintree bumper winner Forthfactor was another to claim a wide-margin success on his hurdles debut at Stratford and was cut into 33/1 for the Supreme. Kingofthefrontier entered the betting at 66/1 after his shock victory in the Sharp Novices' Hurdle.

Turners Novices' Hurdle

Skerry Hill and Love Me Tender both feature prominently in the betting for the Turners, although both can be backed at shorter odds for the Supreme.

With Nolimit was cut into 33/1 after his reappearance win at Down Royal. Green Hint and Premier Division have won bumpers this year, and both feature in the market for this novice hurdle. Columbus and Roc Dino are worth a mention for Willie Mullins, as is Joe Tizzard's Ffos Las scorer The Walk, all of whom can be backed at 33/1 or 40/1.

Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle

With Nolimit took down Champion Bumper winner The Mourne Rambler at Punchestown in the spring and got off the mark over hurdles at the first time of asking at Down Royal. Gordon Elliott's youngster cruised to an easy victory in the 2m6f novice hurdle and was immediately cut into 25/1 for the Albert Bartlett.

Dan Skelton's pair of Forthfactor and Rattlin Home can be backed at 40/1 to win this three-miler. Skerry Hill and Roc Dino also feature in the betting. Cheltenham's Showcase meeting winner Woodstock Octo entered the Albert Bartlett betting at 50/1.

johnnys jury
Johnny’s Jury ridden by Gavin Sheehan wins the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle during day four of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. (Getty)

Novice Chases


Arkle Challenge Trophy

Kabral Du Mathan laid down a marker for the Arkle with a bloodless success on his chasing debut at Perth. Dan Skelton's star finished fourth in the Stayers' Hurdle last season and was cut into 11/2 for the Arkle Challenge Trophy on the back of that reappearance win.

Stablemate Sinnatra also impressed on his chasing bow at Ffos Las and entered the Arkle betting at 25/1. Hold The Serve was beaten 19 lengths by Kabral Du Mathan but managed to win on his second chasing start and can now be backed at 33/1 for the Arkle.

Brown Advisory Novices' Chase

Johnnys Jury ran out an impressive winner of the Albert Bartlett last season and made the perfect start to life over fences at Worcester this weekend. Jamie Snowden's star claimed a narrow victory over the experienced Crest Of Fortune, despite only being 75% fit, and will now be aimed at the Esher Novices' Chase at Sandown in December.

Mares' Races


Mares' Novices' Hurdle

Witches Familiar has claimed wide-margin victories at Ballinrobe, Galway and Gowran Park already this season, and Willie Mullins' Grade Three winner now tops the Mares' Novices' Hurdle betting at 6/1. Lizzie Twigg, Red Acres Georgie and one of my 20 To Follow for the season, Fairy Park, can all be backed at 25/1 after recent victories.

Mares' Chase

Kala Conti made a winning return to action in a classy mares' chase at Down Royal this past week and was immediately cut into 14/1 second favouritism for the 2027 Mares' Chase at the Festival.

Verdict

Cheltenham Festival Market Movers:

Best Bet1: Kabral Du Mathan 2027 Arkle @11/2 at bet365 - 5 Units
Best Bet2: Johnnys Jury 2027 Brown Advisory @14/1 at BOYLE Sports - 5 Units
Best Bet3: Skerry Hill 2027 Supreme Novices' Hurdle @16/1 at Betgoodwin - 5 Units
Best Bet4: Witches Familiar 2027 Mares' Novices' Hurdle @6/1 at bet365 - 5 Units
Kabral Du Mathan
2027 Arkle
@11/2 - 5 Units
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Johnnys Jury
2027 Brown Advisory
@14/1 - 5 Units
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Skerry Hill
2027 Supreme Novices' Hurdle
@16/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £10
with promo code NEWBONUS

Join betgoodwin with promo code NEWBONUS and get access to their Bet £10 Get £10 as a free ACCA welcome offer. 18+ only. T&Cs apply.

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Witches Familiar
2027 Mares' Novices' Hurdle
@6/1 - 5 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

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