- Festival Races
Champion Bumper Odds
Find the latest Champion Bumper odds, tip and racecard below.
Wednesday 16th March, 2022
Cheltenham 16:50 Result
Weatherbys Champion Bumper (A Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race) (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
- 4-6yo, 14 Runners
- jumps, Turf
- Winner £31,652, 2nd £11,925, 3rd £5,968, 4th £2,981, 5th £1,496, 6th £748, 7th £371, 8th £191
- Distance 2m 0f 87y
- Going GOOD TO SOFT (6.5)
- Off Time 16:50
- Winning Time 03:55
- Race Status: WeighedIn
-
1stSir Gerhard- Rachael Blackmore
- W P Mullins
- 6 years, 11-5
3 Tips1 Nap85/40Moremade all, pushed along and 4 lengths ahead home turn, reduced lead when ridden and hung right final furlong, kept on, always doing enough
Naps:
- East Anglian Daily Times
Tipped by:
- Robin Goodfellow - Daily Mail
- Alistair Jones - SPOTLIGHT
- Templegate - The Sun
-
2nd½Kilcruit- Paul Townend
- W P Mullins
- 6 years, 11-5
7 Tips1 Nap10/11 FMorechased leaders, went second and 4 lengths down 2f out, soon ridden, pressed winner final furlong, kept on well but always held
Naps:
- Newsboy - Daily Mirror
Tipped by:
- The Scout - Daily Express
- Newsboy - Daily Mirror
- Garry Owen - Daily Record
- POSTDATA
- Steve Mason - RP Ratings
- The Guardian
- Rob Wright - The Times
-
3rd6 ½Elle Est Belle- Harry Skelton
- Dan Skelton
- 5 years, 10-12
1 Tip16/1Moreheld up in rear, some headway on outer halfway, ridden and chased leaders home turn, ran on final furlong, went third towards finish, not reach leaders
Tipped by:
- Jason Heavey - The Star
-
4th1 ¼Three Stripe Life- Jack Kennedy
- Mrs Denise Foster
- 5 years, 11-5
2 Tips10/1Morefractious before start, took keen hold, midfield, ridden and headway 2f out, went third over 1f out, no impression final furlong, lost third towards finish
Tipped by:
- TOPSPEED
- Marlborough - Telegraph
-
5th4 ½Super Six- Tom Bellamy
- Nigel Twiston-Davies
- 4 years, 10-12
80/1Moretook keen hold, towards rear of midfield, ridden and headway over 2f out, stayed on from over 1f out, not pace to challenge
-
6th¾Grangee- Danny Mullins
- W P Mullins
- 5 years, 10-12
18/1Moreheld up in rear, pushed along over 2f out, ridden home turn, stayed on final furlong, nearest finish
-
7th½Wonderwall- James Bowen
- Richard Spencer
- 5 years, 11-5
1 Tip1 Nap50/1Moretracked leaders, ridden and lost third over 2f out, soon outpaced, weakened gradually final furlong
Naps:
- Steve Mullington - 888Sport
Tipped by:
- David Milnes - NEWMARKET
-
8th2Ramillies- B J Cooper
- W P Mullins
- 6 years, 11-5
14/1Moretracked winner, ridden and lost second 2f out, lost third over 1f out, weakened final furlong
-
9th3I Like To Move It- Sam Twiston-Davies
- Nigel Twiston-Davies
- 4 years, 10-12
40/1Moremidfield, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
-
10th3 ½Shearer- A P Heskin
- Paul Nicholls
- 5 years, 11-5
1 Tip50/1Moretracked leaders, ridden and lost position over 2f out, weakened gradually from over 1f out
Tipped by:
- James Stevens - WEST COUNTRY
-
11th5Chemical Energy- Robbie Power
- Mrs Denise Foster
- 5 years, 11-5
50/1Moremidfield, ridden 3f out, soon weakened
-
12th5 ½Cool Jet- Brian Hayes
- W P Mullins
- 5 years, 11-5
50/1Moretook keen hold, midfield on outer, ridden over 2f out, soon weakened
-
13th2 ¾Jack's A Legend- Tom O'Brien
- Alan Jones
- 6 years, 11-5
80/1Morealways towards rear, ridden over 3f out, soon lost touch
-
14th54Creggan White Hare- Jamie Bargary
- Sean Conway
- 6 years, 11-5
300/1Morein rear, ridden over 4f out, soon lost touch, tailed off
-
NRMoreunsuitable ground
Tote Returns
-
Total Win£3.4
-
Exacta£6.7
-
Trifecta£49
Champion Bumper Tips
Paul Ferguson thinks Willie Mullins can improve his brilliant record in the race.
Kilcruit
What is the Champion Bumper?
The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt Flat race, run over two miles and 87 yards, which brings the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, Ladies Day, to a close. It is the most prestigious ‘bumper’ of the season, races which are designed to give horses who haven’t run on the Flat experience in their career before they switch to jumping, and it is open to horses aged between four and six. It is the only race at the festival where an obstacle isn’t cleared, and as such Flat jockeys regularly ride in it - with Jamie Spencer emerging victorious on Pizarro in 2002.
The history of the Champion Bumper
The race has regularly produced future stars of the sport since being established in 1992, and several winners of the Champion Bumper have come back to win other races at the festival in later years. Willie Mullins has a formidable record in the Champion Bumper, training the winner of the race on nine occasions - though rather surprisingly, Ruby Walsh was only on board for three. Champion Bumper horses regularly graduate to novice hurdling the following season, and the last Champion Bumper winner to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle the following year was the 2012 winner, Champagne Fever, who struck in the Supreme for Willie Mullins in 2013.
What happened in the 2021 Champion Bumper?
Willie Mullins trained the first two home in the Champion Bumper as Sir Gerhard got the better of Kilcruit, with the pair pulling over six lengths clear of Dan Skelton's Elle Est Belle in a race that is sure to throw up some classy horses for the future.
Who is the most iconic winner of the Champion Bumper?
Several winners of the Champion Bumper have a strong claim to such a title, including the 2010 winner Cue Card and the 2012 winner Champagne Fever, though the most successful of the lot was arguably the 1997 winner, Florida Pearl. Having won the Champion Bumper on just his second career start, Florida Pearl bypassed hurdles and launched straight into a chasing career the following season, winning the 1998 RSA Chase before placing in the 1999 and 2000 renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. That particular prize would elude him throughout his career, but he proved to be a top-class horse nonetheless, winning the Irish Gold Cup on four occasions, and the King George VI Chase in 2001. Florida Pearl signed off in the perfect way, remarkably winning the Irish Gold Cup on his final start as a 12-year-old in 2004. He has a Grade 2 race named in his honour, the Florida Pearl Novice Chase, which is traditionally run at Punchestown in November.
Are there any trials for the Champion Bumper?
The unique nature of a bumper in National Hunt racing means that, in theory, any winner of a bumper race during a season could progress into a bona fide contender for the festival. As such, there are no fixed trials for the Champion Bumper, but it’s worth noting down any bumper winner who impresses during the season, while keeping an eye on some of the graded bumpers throughout the season, such as the Grade 2 contest at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February, can also prove fruitful.
Who is the most successful jockey in the Champion Bumper?
The most successful jockey in the history of the Champion Bumper is Ruby Walsh, who has won the race on three occasions, courtesy of Alexander Banquet (1998), Missed That (2005) and Briar Hill (2013).
Who is the most successful trainer in the Champion Bumper?
The most successful trainer in the history of the Champion Bumper is Willie Mullins, who has trained the winner of the race on trn occasions. Mullins was responsible for each of Ruby Walsh’s three wins in the race (Alexander Banquet in 1998, Missed That in 2005 and Briar Hill in 2013), while he has also trained Wither Or Which (1996), Florida Pearl (1997), Joe Cullen (2000), Cousin Vinny (2008), Champagne Fever (2012), Relegate (2018) and Sir Gerhard (2020).