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Horse Racing Betting Tips - Antepost - 2027 Cheltenham Festival - Champion Hurdle

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Publish Date: 29/10/2026

Fact checked by: Jordan Noble

Key Points

Today’s betting tip is being targeted for this race
Other than the hot favourite, he sets the standard
He is young enough to find further improvement

With State Man officially retiring this week, it’s time to look for a worthy Champion Hurdle contender, and I think I’ve found one, with a very generous 25/1 price tag.

Are you new around here? Let me give you the lowdown! I’m RacingGav and I’m the resident horse racing expert here at Betting.co.uk. I publish free horse racing tips here every week, which are a mix of daily betting selections, antepost picks, and a Lucky 15 every Saturday.

This article is all about my betting tip for the Champion Hurdle, but let’s not forget about the other major Hurdles race at the 2027 Cheltenham Festival, the Stayers’ Hurdle. I posted an 18/1 antepost tip for that race at the beginning of the month, and although he has attracted support since, you can still get 14/1 if you shop around. Still a value price in my eyes!

Betting advice

17 March 2027 - 2027 Cheltenham Festival - Champion Hurdle - Alexei - @ 25/1 (3 places) - 0.75pt each way

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I think Alexei will go off a fraction of his current price!

The Champion Hurdle is currently looking very light on contenders, which makes Alexei look rather overpriced at 25/1. Unless there is a drastic shake up in the division, I think he’ll go off much shorter come March. Let’s take a look.

Alexei is being targeted for this race

Half of the battle with antepost betting is your horse lining up in the right race. When it comes to Alexei, trainer Joe Tizzard has already confirmed that the Champion Hurdle is the plan for him. Of course, he is still susceptible to injury or other mishaps, but at least we know the intended target is the race that we are backing him for.

Joe Tizzard has also confirmed that Alexei will kick off his season in the Grade 2 Molyneux Hurdle at Aintree on 7 November before heading up to Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth. Both of those races are winnable, and if he performs as anticipated the bookmakers will hack away at his price for the Champion Hurdle in March 2027.

Other than the hot favourite, Alexei sets the standard

Of course, I’m under no illusion that Lossiemouth is the one to beat in the Champion Hurdle. However, the market reflects that, and she is priced at odds between 11/10 and 6/4. That is a skinny price considering the risk of betting this far ahead. To put it into context, 1.5pt stake on Lossiemouth to win at 6/4 would see a return of 3.75pts. However, if Alexei places at 25/1, the same 1.5pt stake placed at 0.75pts each way would return 4.5pts. Of course, Alexei might win, which would bring a significant return of 24pts.

At the end of the 2025/26 season, only four horses finished with a higher rating than Alexei in the 2m Hurdle division. Those four were Lossiemouth, Sir Gino, The New Lion, and Brighterdaysahead. I have already covered Lossiemouth, Sir Gino has sadly passed away, while The New Lion and Brighterdaysahead head elsewhere. The New Lion is expected to step up in trip, and Brighterdaysahead is highly likely to target the Mares' Hurdle. As things stand currently, Alexei is the one to beat on ratings.

Looking the eight horses ahead of him in the market, only two or three of them will realistically turn up in the Champion Hurdle. Kopek Des Bordes, King Rasko Grey, Narciso Has, and Old Park Star are expected to go Chasing. Finally, Idaho Sun is starting over Hurdles, and could possibly go down the Champion Hurdle route, but connections haven’t entirely ruled out Chasing either. If he is beaten in the Greatwood Hurdle, their attention may well change to the Arkle.

Alexei is young enough to find further improvement

I've already acknowledged that Lossiemouth is Alexei's main rival. But another thing to consider is that the likes of Mydaddypaddy and Idaho Sun could improve past him as former Novices moving to Open company this season. As such, they are less exposed and potentially open to more improvement, but it is not guaranteed. Many horses fail to make that crucial leap from Novice to Open races every year.

It could be argued that Mydaddypaddy and Idaho Sun are only five and six years old respectively, but don't forget that Alexei is only six years old himself. There is every chance that he could come back bigger and stronger this season, and improve even more. We also know Alexei can be competitive at the top of this division as he proved it last season. Without a mistake at the last in the 2026 Champion Hurdle, he may well have finished second or third, especially as he backed that performance up by finishing third in a Grade 1 at Aintree the following month.

Is Alexei the best value bet in the Champion Hurdle market?

The secret to long term betting success is to find value, and I think I've achieved that with Alexei. If he makes it to Cheltenham in March, I’ll be surprised if he is 10/1 on the day. And if he wins races like the Molyneux Hurdle and the Fighting Fifth in the meantime, he could be half that price. Obviously a lot depends on how the start of the season pans out, but as mentioned, it looks to be a weak division this year.

Lossiemouth is the one to beat but there is no value in her price in my opinion. As highlighted, Alexei placing would return more than Lossiemouth winning with the same stake. As they say, you should never be afraid of one horse, and Cheltenham is a long way off yet. As we have seen with Constitution Hill and Sir Gino, nothing is guaranteed in this game.

The other potential dangers are Mydaddypaddy and Idaho Sun. But with Dan Skelton seemingly scared of the Fighting Fifth for the former, and Harry Fry not ruling out the Greatwood Hurdle for the latter, I think the pair should be more frightened of Alexei than he is of them. Given that Lossiemouth will be a tough nut to crack if she lines up, I have trimmed the stake down to 0.75pt each way. At 25/1, that lebel of stake is fully warranted in my opinion.

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