
You may have realised by now that I’m working my way through the Championship races at the 2027 Cheltenham Festival, providing antepost selections for you each month. This time, it’s the turn of the Stayers’ Hurdle, which is one of two feature races of the third day of the Festival.
If you’re just discovering me and my content for the first time, welcome! I’ve been the resident horse racing expert here since March 2025, and my main responsibility is providing you with free horse racing tips, which can be daily or antepost like this one. I've already published two other antepost tips for next year's Cheltenham Festival which cover the Champion Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so make sure you take a look at those too.
At the time of writing, the best horse racing odds for Jimmy De Seuil come from PricedUp with a price of 18/1! Elsewhere his odds vary from 10/1 to 16/1, so 18/1 really is a fantastic price. There’s also a superb new customer deal. If you bet £20, you’ll get £20 in free bets. Definitely worth doing to catch the great price.
I see Jimmy Du Seuil much shorter for the 2027 Stayers’ Hurdle. In the remainder of this article, I’ll explain why, but I strongly suggest that you take the price while it lasts!
Jimmy was second in the 2m 5f Grade 1 Novices’ Hurdle at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, chasing home his stablemate Ballyburn, on softer ground than he would have enjoyed. However, he came up short in Grade 1 company at Aintree and Punchestown over intermediate trips and Hurdles. In the summer of 2024, he suffered a setback and went straight to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival without a run, but that didn’t stop him landing the Coral Cup in great style.
After that he went chasing, but despite winning his Chase debut, it didn’t work out for him. Connections wisely reverted to Hurdles at the Punchestown Festival in April 2026, and he was only denied by three quarters of a length in the race that was Bob Olinger’s swan song. That was his first crack at a staying trip over Hurdles in Grade 1 company, and with a better jump at the last, he may well have won.
In a recent interview with Sam Morgan, Jimmy Du Seuil’s owner, Ed Ware, confirmed that he is being campaigned for a Grade 1 staying Hurdle, indicating that his main target will be the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
It was also confirmed that Jimmy Du Seuil’s starting point for the season will be the Hatton’s Grace at the end of November. That race is over 2m 4f and it’s a logical choice. Jimmy Du Seuil’s stablemate Ballyburn followed that route last season. Ballyburn came a close second in the Hatton’s Grace before heading to Leopardstown at Christmas, and from there to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
I tipped Ballyburn for the 2026 Stayers’ Hurdle and if he hadn’t been badly hampered at the last, I think he would have won. I was hoping to see him go one better in 2027, but sadly he has been ruled out for the season. That said, I think Jimmy Du Seuil can take his place for Willie Mullins.
If you look at Jimmy Du Seuil’s form, I think he has the perfect balance of being proven but also being unexposed. He has finished second and first in two Cheltenham Festival races, so we know he performs at the meeting. He also came close to winning on his first attempt at a staying trip over Hurdles at Grade 1 level.
While he has crucial experience, he has only had seven starts over Hurdles, and just one staying trip. That means he is unexposed and there is tons of potential for improvement. He is rated 156 already and his Punchestown performance produced a RPR of 160. A repeat of that level, would see him involved in the 2027 Stayers’ Hurdle and if he continues to improve through the season, he could well win.
Looking at the current market there’s a mix of horses that are past their peak, unproven, or unlikely to run. As such, it looks like a wide open renewal and Jimmy Du Seuil could announce himself as the next star in the division. The one I’d fear most is Zeus Power, but he hasn’t been missed in the market and is priced between 8/1 and 10/1. That seems fair at this stage, especially as he needs to step up from Novice to Open company.
With Ballyburn out for the season, and question marks concerning Jasmin De Vaux, Jimmy Du Seuil could have stable jockey Paul Townend in the saddle for his campaign, which is a big plus. Incidentally, it seems crazy to me that Jasmin De Vaux is shorter in the market than Jimmy Du Seuil, despite the former being injured last season, and with a chance he could be sent chasing too!
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to think that Jimmy Du Seuil can make a real mark on the staying Hurdles division this season. It has been confirmed that he is staying over Hurdles and that is half the battle with antepost betting, especially where Willie Mullins is involved. He also has a perfect mix of experience, including at the Cheltenham Festival but also being unexposed and open to improvement too.
On the negative side, that Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown was at the end of the season and that form can sometimes be hard to trust. Also, beyond the Robcour pair, Bob Olinger and Teahupoo, there was little depth to the race, and Bob Olinger is now retired. Jimmy Du Seuil needs to prove he can step up to Grade 1 level, and there’s always the chance of a surprise package or two landing in this division as the season goes on.
After considering all of the positives and negatives, I think Jimmy Du Seuil is underestimated at 18/1. Zeus Power commands respect, but he has to prove himself at top level.. At odds of 18/1, I think there is plenty of value in the price for Jimmy Du Seuil and I’m having a strong 1pt Each Way play now. If he wins the Hatton’s Grace or even just runs very well in defeat, his odds will collapse.
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