Key Points
- The Arkle is the perfect stepping stone for the Champion Chase
- This horse is the right age for this race according to the trends!
- The Irish have dominated this race and that looks set to continue!
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Every month, I’m putting up an antepost betting tip for the 2027 Cheltenham Festival. Straight after the 2026 Festival concluded, I put up a selection for the
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. Then I kicked off my monthly articles with a selection for the
Cheltenham Gold Cup, and this time I’m looking at another of the feature races, the Champion Chase!
The majority of my content here consists of
free horse racing tips
and as you can see, I enjoy dabbling in the antepost markets. As well as having selections for the 2027 Cheltenham Festival already locked in, I also have one for the
2027 Aintree Grand National, at a huge price. Don’t miss out on the early value for that one either.
Betting advice
- Wednesday 17 March - 2027 Cheltenham Festival - Champion Chase -
Kopek Des Bordes
@ 9/2 -
2pt Win
bet365 has the best antepost odds for Kopek Des Bordes!
At the time of writing, most bookies are offering 4/1 for Kopek Des Bordes, with some as short as 3/1. On the flip side, bet365 has the
best horse racing odds
at 9/2. New to bet365? Well that’s even better. If you sign up and bet £10, you’ll get £30 in free bets. Definitely worth doing to catch this great price.
Kopek Des Bordes has the potential to be a superstar!
I think Kopek Des Bordes can be the next star for Willie Mullins in the 2m Chase division, and in this article, I’ll show you why.
The Arkle is the perfect stepping stone for the Champion Chase
The Arkle is the perfect stepping stone for the Champion Chase. It’s run on the Old Course, over the same distance, and has the same atmosphere and pressure. Horses like Sizing Europe, Put The Kettle On, and dual-Champion Chase winners Sprinter Sacre and Altior all progressed from the Arkle to the Champion Chase. Even last year’s winner, Il Etait Temp finished third in the Arkle before going on to win the Champion Chase the following year.
Kopek Des Bordes went into the 2026 Arkle with just one run over fences under his belt, which was the previous November. So the fact that he raced keenly, and was slightly over-exuberant when jumping, he looked the winner approaching two out. Frustratingly, he pecked on landing after the second last, losing ground, and leaving him unable to catch Kargese. While she has the win to her name, I don’t think Kopek Des Bordes would have any issues giving Kargese 7lb and a beating if they face one another again.
Kopek Des Bordes is the right age for this race according to the trends!
When you look at the trends, the ideal age for a Champion Chase winner is between seven and 10 years. But since 2018 we have only seen horses aged 7, 8 or 9 win the race. Il Etait Temps was eight when he won the 2026 renewal. Even if he’s still in great shape as a nine-year-old, he is still at the upper end of the ideal age bracket. Likewise, Marine Nationale will come to the race as a 10-year-old, which feels a big ask.
On the other hand, Kopek Des Bordes will only be seven next March. Although he is on the lower end age-wise, and lacks experience, he is completely unexposed and I believe he has plenty more to come.
The Irish have dominated this race and that looks set to continue!
The last six renewals of the Champion Chase have been won by Irish trainers, and it’s difficult to see that changing in 2027. Of course, this is no surprise as they have dominated the Cheltenham Festival as a whole in recent years, especially in the graded races.
Willie Mullins will probably send last year’s winner, Il Etait Temps, to defend his crown. Last year’s Arkle winner Kargese, and Kopek Des Bordes, who came second, are likely to join him. Given that Il Etait Temps needs to back up his 2026 performance, and potentially needs better ground, he looks skinny enough at prices as short as 9/4. He obviously sets a high standard, especially so if the ground is in his favour, but there’s no guarantee of that at this stage.
Kopek Des Bordes had a tough 2025/26 campaign. With a peck on landing two out costing him the Arkle, and a fall at Punchestown the following month. However, both performances showed significant promise, as did his win at Navan on Chase debut. He looks open to tons of improvement, potentially enough to see him win the Champion Chase. It speaks volumes that he was rated the Top Novice Chaser for 2025/26 by Timeform, despite only winning his first start over fences.
With a smooth campaign, Kopek Des Bordes can shine!
Considering Kopek Des Bordes made his debut over fences in November 2025, and didn’t run again until the Arkle in March 2026, I think it’s remarkable that he performed as well as he did. With that experience under his belt, and a smooth 2026/27 campaign, I think he can progress enormously. We know the engine is there, it’s just ironing out the jumping. That should come naturally with experience, but if you want a man to help it along, Willie Mullins is right up there.
By March 2027 Il Etait Temps will be nine years old, and others, including Marine Nationale, will be 10. As such, it’s possible their best days are behind them. On the other hand, Kopek Des Bordes will be in the prime of his life as a seven-year-old, so his future potential is enormous. With Lulamba destined for longer distances, the main contender coming up from the Novice division is Kargese, but I think Kopek Des Bordes will comfortably reverse last year’s Arkle form.
Looking at last year’s Champion Chase, Il Etait Temps was impressive and the rest of the field fell apart. Although Kopek Des Bordes will have a real test on his hands, I think he is the right play at 9/2. With natural progression, he will most likely go off much shorter, and if anything untoward happens to Il Etait Temps, he could easily end up as the favourite.
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