Champion Bumper – Expert Tips & Predictions
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper is the only race at the Cheltenham Festival without obstacles. A two-mile flat race championship for National Hunt horses, the winner is often touted for big things over obstacles. GG’s team have found who they believe to be the next superstar here.
Champion Bumper Runners + Odds – Day 2 @ Cheltenham Festival
| Horse/Form | Silks | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Dream To Share 111 |  | J: TBC T: John E Kiely | 7/2 |
| It’s For Me 1-1 |  | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 5/1 |
| Fact To File 1-12 | | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 13/2 |
| Fun Fun Fun 11 | | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 8/1 |
| Chapeau De Soleil 12 |  | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 11/1 |
| Western Diego 1-1 |  | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 12/1 |
| Better Days Ahead 1-21 |  | J: TBC T: Gordon Elliott | 12/1 |
| Encanto Bruno 1-11 |  | J: TBC T: John C McConnell | 14/1 |
| Queens Gamble 1-12 |  | J: TBC T: Oliver Sherwood | 16/1 |
| Westport Cove 1 |  | J: TBC T: Willie Mullins | 20/1 |
| No Time To Wait FF-31 |  | J: TBC T: Gordon Elliott | 25/1 |
| Fascile Mode 14 |  | J: TBC T: Thomas Mullins | 33/1 |
| Captain Teague 1-1 |  | J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls | 33/1 |
| King Of Kingsfield 1-15 |  | J: Jordan Gainford T: Gordon Elliott | 33/1 |
| Favour And Fortune 11 |  | J: Tom Cannon T: Alan King | 33/1 |
| Loughglynn 6-1 |  | J: Michael O’Sullivan T: Willie Mullins | 33/1 |
| Chosen Witness 1-15 |  | J: Sean O’Keeffe T: Willie Mullins | 33/1 |
| Lecky Watson 2-22 |  | J: Jack Foley T: Willie Mullins | 33/1 |
| Fiercely Proud 11 |  | J: Luca Morgan T: Ben Pauling | 33/1 |
| Samui 1 |  | J: Sam Ewing T: Gordon Elliott | 40/1 |
| D Art D Art 1 |  | J: B J Cooper T: Thomas Cooper | 40/1 |
| Captain Cody F-421 |  | J: Josephine Townend T: Willie Mullins | 66/1 |
| Beachcomber 41 |  | J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo O’Neill | 66/1 |
| Shinji 13 |  | J: Aidan Coleman T: Martin Keighley | 100/1 |
All About The Champion Bumper Trophy in 2023
The field for the Champion Bumper almost always consists of horses in their first season in training. As such, there is often less evidence than there would be in other contests.
Nevertheless, there are three horses who have put in performances that have already shaken up the market. Unsurprisingly, all hail from yards based in Ireland.
American Mike threw down the earliest marker when he won the same bumper on debut as Sir Gerhard did last season. That horse, of course, went on to win the Weatherbys Champion Bumper later on last term. He made such an impression that he went off at prohibitive odds of 1/8 in a Listed Navan bumper and duly delivered a similar performance.
Another who was supremely impressive was Redemption Day for Willie Mullins. He won a bumper at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. He is closely related to a former Champion Bumper winner in Cheltenian, so it should be no shock to see him do well in this sphere before going over obstacles.
However, if we’re going to mention breeding, there is no escaping the remarkable family of Facile Vega. By the exceptional jumps sire Walk In The Park, father of no less than Douvan and Min, and out of six-time Mares’ Hurdle heroine Quevega, he is surely one of the most excitingly-bred National Hunt horses in history. He might just be as useful as them too, after scoring by six lengths on his bumper debut on Boxing Day and then destroying his field in Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival.
The shortest-priced of the Brits is Springwell Bay, who transferred to Jonjo O’Neill from Margaret Mullins in November. He had finished second in a very hot contest in April, but made light work of his opposition at Market Rasen on British shores for the first time.
Qualifications/Trends
This is the most age-limited contest at the Festival with only horses between the ages of four and six eligible to compete in the race.
In 29 runnings of the Champion Bumper, it is the five-year-olds who have come out on top comfortably more than any other age group, registering 18 successes. It has been a more level playing field in the last eight runnings, however, with the six-year-olds having won half of those contests. The extra care taken to prepare them for their racecourse experiences perhaps proves vital on the big stage.
Despite receiving 7lb from those older than them, no four-year-old has won since Cue Card in 2010, with Blue Sari coming closest when second to Envoi Allen in 2019.
The race has often housed a short-priced favourite in recent years, though both Appreciate It and Kilcruit were turned over. Indeed only five favourites have ever won the Champion Bumper and arguably the most successful winner of the race, Cue Card, was sent off at 40/1 when he landed the spoils.
Since Cue Card, the race has thrown up as many 25/1 and 16/1 winners as favourites (two each), with one of those market leaders, Moon Racer, going off at a relatively lofty 9/2. So though the likes of Gordon Elliott or Willie Mullins will likely have a supposed warm order in here, don’t ignore any second strings or outsiders, particularly in the case of the latter. None of Mullins’ last six winners of the Champion Bumper have been his first string.
Mullins is still the man to beat in sending out winners of this race, regardless of whether they are his most fancied. He has taken it on 11 occasions; no other trainer has won it more than twice. He is a substantial leader of this event.
Two of the last five have been denied him by Gordon Elliott and all told, eight of the last ten trophies have returned to Ireland. That is a record that looks likely only to extend.
Prize Money in 2023
For a horse who has generally been unraced over obstacles, a prize of £56,250 was not too shabby for the contestants of the 2021 Champion Bumper.
Champion Bumper History
Weatherbys have one of the longest-standing sponsorships at the Festival, as their name has been carried by the Champion Bumper since 1997.
The first running of the race came five years prior to that and is half of one of the great Cheltenham quiz questions (spoiler alert incoming). The winner was Montelado for trainer Pat Flynn and Richard Dunwoody, but the significance is where the race was on the card.
Upon the Champion Bumper’s introduction, it was the final race of the Festival. At the 199e Festival, Montelado added the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle to his collection, the race which always comes first. As such, Montelado became the first and only horse so far to win back-to-back Cheltenham Festival events and with the current order of the schedule, that will not be changing any time soon.
The Champion Bumper is often a starting point for future greats before they attempt obstacles. The first genuine star to win the contest was probably Dato Star, winner in 1995 for Malcolm Jefferson and who would go on to win two Fighting Fifths and a Christmas Hurdle.
Two years later though, and the winner of the 1997 renewal arguably has claims to being the best to emerge from the race as champion. Florida Pearl was luckless at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup but still won an RSA Chase, as well as three Irish Gold Cups and a King George. His last Grade 1 came almost seven years after his success in the Bumper.
Beware the superstar tag, though. Dunguib was readily talked of as the next big thing and was sent off odds-on to win the Supreme Novices’ the year after his Champion Bumper success, but was defeated and struggled to live up to his reputation. Envoi Allen may be finding something similar happening at the moment.
Winners since 2000
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Joe Cullen | J:Charlie Swan T:Willie Mullins | 14/1 |
| 2001 | VOID | J:N/A T:N/A | VOID |
| 2002 | Pizarro | J:Jamie Spencer T:Edward O’Grady | 14/1 |
| 2003 | Liberman | J:Tony McCoy T:Martin Pipe | 2/1F |
| 2004 | Total Enjoyment | J:Jim Culloty T:Tom Cooper | 7/1 |
| 2005 | Missed That | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 7/2F |
| 2006 | Hairy Molly | J:Paul Carberry T:Joseph Crowley | 33/1 |
| 2007 | Cork All Star | J:Barry Geraghty T:Jessica Harrington | 11/2 |
| 2008 | Cousin Vinny | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 12/1 |
| 2009 | Dunguib | J:Brian O’Connell T:Philip Fenton | 9/2 |
| 2010 | Cue Card | J:Joe Tizzard T:Colin Tizzard | 40/1 |
| 2011 | Cheltenian | J:Richard Johnson T:Philip Hobbs | 14/1 |
| 2012 | Champagne Fever | J:Patrick Mullins T:Willie Mullins | 16/1 |
| 2013 | Briar Hill | J:Ruby Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 25/1 |
| 2014 | Silver Concorde | J:Robbie McNamara T:Dermot Weld | 16/1 |
| 2015 | Moon Racer | J:Tom Scudamore T:David Pipe | 9/2F |
| 2016 | Ballyandy | J:Sam Twiston-Davies T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 5/1 |
| 2017 | Fayonagh | J:Jamie Codd T:Gordon Elliott | 7/1 |
| 2018 | Relegate | J:Katie Walsh T:Willie Mullins | 25/1 |
| 2019 | Envoi Allen | J:Jamie Codd T:Gordon Elliott | 2/1F |
| 2020 | Ferny Hollow | J:Paul Townend T:Willie Mullins | 11/1 |
| 2021 | Sir Gerhard | J:Rachael Blackmore T:Willie Mullins | 85/40 |