Champion Bumper Odds 2023
The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race and is the closing event on day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival. It was introduced in 1992 and is restricted to horses that have yet to race under flat racing rules. Bumper races were originally created to provide racing experience for National Hunt bred horses before going novice hurdling.
Another race that has been dominated by Irish trainers, especially Willie Mullins, who has trained the winner on twelve occasions.
He has a strong hand again this year with Fact To File, It’s For Me, and Fun Fun Fun all close to the top of the betting. However, it is the J E Kiely trained A Dream To Share who has been purchased by leading owner JP McManus who currently heads the market.
The race tends to produce excellent horses who go on to further Festival success, with Sir Gerhard, Envoi Allen, Champagne Fever and Cue Card just some of the runners who have been successful in this contest.
Latest Champion Bumper odds *
*Best prices correct at time of writing
A Dream To Share 7/2
Fact To File 9/2
It’s For Me 5/1
Fun Fun Fun 15/2
Better Days Ahead 12/1
Encanto Bruno 12/1
Western Diego 12/1
Chapeau De Soleil 14/1
Westport Cove 16/1
Queens Gamble 18/1
Favour And Fortune 25/1
Captain Teague 28/1
Fascile Mode 28/1
Loughglynn 28/1
Chosen Witness 33/1
King Of Kingsfield 33/1
Lecky Watson 33/1
No Time To Wait 33/1
Fiercely Proud 40/1
D Art D Art 50/1
Samui 50/1
Beachcomber 66/1
Captain Cody 80/1
Shinji 100/1
Champion Bumper Odds and Entries 2023
A Dream To Share is unbeaten in three runs under rules and landed a Grade 2 at Leopardstown in February. He sets a strong form standard, but the field comprises lightly raced rivals open to improvement.
Fact To File finished second behind A Dream To Share when they met at Leopardstown but is worthy of respect for Willie Mullins in a race he tends to dominate. He is also the choice ride of Patrick Mullins, who has had plenty of success in this contest.
It’s For Me and Fun Fun Fun are also trained by Willie Mullins under the ownership of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. They both produced impressive victories last time out and have to be considered.
Staying with the Irish, Better Days Ahead for Gordon Elliott left his debut run behind when winning in December, while Encanto Bruno was last seen successful at Cheltenham in October. However, the British hopes seem to rest with Queens Gamble, who lost her unbeaten record at Market Rasen last time and the unbeaten pair of Favour And Fortune and Captain Teague.
It is hard to get away from the Irish challenge once again, and although A Dream To Share has the experience, it could pay to look at an improving rival who could then go on to further Cheltenham Festival success in the future.
Betting on the Champion Bumper
The Champion Bumper is the finale on day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival and few punters will look beyond Trainer Willie Mullins here. The hot favourite Facile Vega took his tally to a record 12 winners when successful in 2022. It was his third consecutive winner and fourth in the past five seasons after Relegate (2018), Ferny Hollow (2020) and Sir Gerhard (2021).
Mullins predictably has the favourite in the ante-post Champion Bumper betting with easy Navan winner It’s For Me. He also has plenty of other likely candidates including Fun Fun Fun and Ballyburn. There is little sign of British-trained runners ending their drought in the race which now stretches back to Ballyandy (2016), trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies.
The market is not always a reliable guide if you are having a bet on the Champion Bumper. Only three of the last twelve favourites have obliged; Moon Race (2015), Envoi Allen (2019) and Facile Vega (2022). There have been plenty of shock winners including some of the Mullins-trained horses.
Champagne Fever (2012) was a 16-1 chance and Briar Hill (2013) won at 25-1. The latter was partnered by Ruby Walsh and sister Katie won here five years’ later aboard another 25-1 chance in Relegate.
Champion Bumper News
A Dream To Share has a hefty price tag to justify having been purchased by JP McManus in the build-up to this race. He will have to be special to overcome the Willie Mullins battalion, but he could prove to be up to this task.
It’s For Me shot to the head of the betting after his victory at Navan in January, but it could prove telling that Patrick Mullins has decided to partner stablemate Fact To File instead. Fun Fun Fun won a Grade 2 mares-only contest in February and is a dangerous proposition receiving weight from most of her rivals in this contest.
Encanto Bruno, Western Diego and Westport Cove are other unbeaten runners from Ireland who have unknown potential and can’t be ruled out with much certainty.
The last British-trained winner of this race was Ballyandy back in 2016 for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies, and it looks like the wait will go on for another home success will go on for another year.