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13:20Supreme Novices' Hurdle
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16:00Champion Hurdle
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16:00Champion Chase
16:40Grand Annual Chase
17:20Champion Bumper
Champion Bumper
17:20 Cheltenham Festival
2025-03-12
Winner: £45,560
Runners: 17
Going: Good To Soft
No. of hurdles:
Distance: 2m0f87y
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper takes place on day two of the Cheltenham Festival and is the only race at the meeting during which no obstacles are jumped. It is for horses who are yet to begin their jumping careers and has been the starting point for many top-class hurdlers and chasers, including King George winners Florida Pearl and Cue Card.
NO.DRAW
FORM
FORM
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12(0)
11-9
Shuttle Diplomacy
-
J: Donagh Meyler
T: Thomas Cooper
5
11-7
122
133
Easily won from the front in a Listed bumper at Limerick (heavy) but he still went off 33-1 for a Grade 1 event at Punchestown last spring and came up well short; it's hardly ideal to be heading here after so long on the sidelines.
5(0)
1
Gameofinches
-
J: Paul Townend
T: W P Mullins
6
11-7
124
136
Competitive when falling in his first point and comfortably made amends in the second; rules debut only 20 days ago but he was the talk of Punchestown (soft; 8-15) and duly eased clear with Patrick Mullins (who now rides Copacabana) having to be only a passenger; the could-be-anything tag definitely applies here and Willie Mullins speaks of him with a glint in his eye; huge player.
7(0)
13
He Can't Dance
-
J: Mr H C Swan
T: Gordon Elliott
5
11-7
123
130
Has a Festival winner in the family as his dam is a half-sister to Master Minded who won the Champion Chase twice; long odds-on when doing it easily at Navan and was then gelded; held his own when third in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown's Dublin Racing Festival (again on soft; unraced on drier ground) and that was against rivals armed with more experience, including Sortudo who was second; nice prospect but may lack the finishing kick for this.
11(0)
1
No Drama This End
-
J: Harry Cobden
T: Paul Nicholls
5
11-7
118
122
Odds-on when winning his British point (3m, soft) by 23l and subsequently sold for £160,000; described as "big and backward" by his trainer in the Racing Post's early-season Stable Tours but he looked good in brushing aside a well-regarded Skelton horse at Warwick on New Year's Eve (soft); rightly considered to be one of Britain's best chances; Paul Nicholls has had horses placed in this race but never won it.
4(0)
214
Fortune De Mer
-
J: Harry Skelton
T: Dan Skelton
5
11-7
125
125
It wasn't a strong Listed race that he won here in November (good; coped with softer in points) but he had loads more in hand than the narrow margin would suggest; turned over since at odds-on at Huntingdon but a blind eye can be turned to that as he was far too gassy off tepid fractions; could be seen in a different light here should they crack on at a solid pace and top trainer has been talking up his chances.
9(0)
16
I Started A Joke
-
J: Philip Byrnes
T: C Byrnes
6
11-7
120
128
All out to win at Limerick over Christmas (yielding to soft) so it was surprising that he went off favourite for a Grade 2 at Leopardstown and he duly came up short (behind Sortudo and He Can't Dance); very opposable on what he's achieved to date.
13(0)
122
Sortudo
-
J: Danny Mullins
T: W P Mullins
5
11-7
123
130
Seemingly down his stable's pecking order but he's been bang there at Leopardstown (good to yielding/soft) in his last two runs, the latest a Grade 2 when finishing alongside He Can't Dance; he may lack the same star potential of some in here.
3(0)
1
El Cairos
-
J: Mr David Maxwell
T: Gary & Josh Moore
5
11-7
114
119
Recruited for 200,000euros after winning an Irish maiden point (3m, yielding) last April; won easily at Newbury (good) but the next two home haven't done anything for the form and he has a mountain to climb on the all figures; on the plus side, he's well thought of and reportedly impressed in a gallop last week.
2(0)
11
Dalston Lad
-
J: Tristan Durrell
T: Dan Skelton
5
11-7
123
118
Winning pointer who has justified a shade of odds-on in both his bumpers, at Ayr (good to soft; by 9l) and Aintree (soft; by 2l); seems a straightforward gelding who should give his running but that latest form has taken some knocks and Harry Skelton prefers stablemate Fortune De Mer.
15(0)
11
Bambino Fever
-
J: Miss J Townend
T: W P Mullins
5
11-0
130
138
Point and dual bumper winner (all on soft); seemingly neglected by Patrick Mullins (who rode her the time before) in a Grade 2 for mares at Leopardstown's big February festival but, under Jody Townend who retains the ride here, the turbo kicked in up the straight and she powered away from a solid yardstick who won last Sunday; clearly has an engine and two mares armed with the handy sex allowance have won this in the last decade, including the stable's Relegate who took the same Leopardstown race en route.
10(0)
11
Kalypso'chance
-
J: Danny Gilligan
T: Gordon Elliott
5
11-7
130
137
Won his point over 2m4f in Britain last April and five days later fetched £85,000 at the sales; has impressed in both his bumpers in Ireland, unextended at Punchestown (soft) and Navan (Listed; yielding to soft); quickened smartly the last time and the Topspeed figure was eyecatching; could possess the required blend of speed and stamina for this test and there's no knowing where his limitations lie; powerful owners have never won this but they're getting closer (third 12 months ago); lots to like.
8(0)
11
Idaho Sun
-
J: Bryan Carver
T: Harry Fry
5
11-7
126
125
The dam is out of a half-sister to Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere; all out to win on heavy at Newton Abbot in October but had the runner-up further behind when decisively following up in Berkshire Winter Million event at Windsor in January (soft); impressing on typical mid-winter ground can count for nothing here but he's hugely unexposed.
NR(0)
162
Highland Haven
-
T: Fergal O'Brien
5
11-0
117
124
Twice beaten since her debut win at Ffos Las (good to soft) and she's surely outclassed.
17(0)
24
Caballero Cliff
-
J: Ben Jones
T: Robert Stephens
4
10-11
112
112
Unlucky not to finish closer when fourth in a Listed event here on New Year's Day (soft) but that wasn't a strong race and this has never been won by a maiden.
18(0)
1
Lancelot Allen
-
J: David Noonan
T: Jane Williams
4
10-11
115
107
Only one 4yo (Cue Card) has won this race since 1995; this one is well related but has been absent since December when edging out a subsequent winning hurdler at Bangor (soft); that bare form leaves him with a whopping amount to find on this seismic rise in class.
1(0)
1
Copacabana
-
J: Mr P W Mullins
T: W P Mullins
5
11-7
123
133
Made his debut only a month ago but was hugely impressive at Navan (soft to heavy) in comfortably disposing of experienced opposition (who had shown plenty of ability) by a widening 5l, and so strong was he through the line that Patrick Mullins had a job pulling him up; that performance was evidently not unexpected after going off favourite (9-4) and the vibes emanating out of a yard that's farmed this race bode well; given that ten winners of this contest had raced only once, there's no knocking inexperience.
14(0)
1
Aqua Force
-
J: Mark Walsh
T: W P Mullins
6
11-0
127
135
Bred for the job as her dam is out of a sister to Back In Front who was third in this race in 2002 then won the Supreme in 2003; turned a few heads in winning at Gowran last month (soft) by 28l and the runner-up was about 9l behind Bambino Fever the time before; this mare has since been recruited by JP McManus and moved to Willie Mullins from Miguel Gunn's yard; an unknown quantity.
6(0)
4212
Heads Up
-
J: Sean Bowen
T: John C McConnell
5
11-7
123
127
Dam hails from the family of Gold Cup winner Denman; won by 24l at Punchestown in November (soft) but was readily brushed aside by Kalypso'chance at Navan (yielding to soft) despite having the run of things up front; it's difficult to envisage him reversing those placings and there are plenty of others to worry about.
RACING POST TIP
Kalypso'chance
British stables have chances - Fortune De Mer is perhaps the pick of them - but the Irish have won 25 of the 32 runnings and their iron-fist dominance is hard to resist. Willie Mullins alone has won 13 and again he brings strength in numbers, with Bambino Fever catapulting herself into the picture with a power-packed performance at Leopardstown and both Copacabana and Gameofinches hinting at star potential in their recent runaway wins. One who may repel the Mullins battalion is KALYPSO'CHANCE, who has looked awesome in his two bumpers and the Listed race he won at Navan is one that Gordon Elliott has consistently targeted with his top prospects, including past Festival winners Don Cossack, Samcro, Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard. The selection delivered some eyecatching figures that day and he might be a step further up the ladder at this stage of his career than many in this field. With that in mind, it's worth noting that seven of the last nine winners had already won a Listed or Graded bumper.
Cheltenham Free Bets
Verdict
CHAMPION BUMPER PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | Jasmin De Vaux | 1 | 5 | 9-2 | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2023 | A Dream To Share | 111 | 5 | 7-2 | John E Kiely | Mr J L Gleeson |
| 2022 | Facile Vega | 11 | 5 | 15-8F | Willie Mullins | Patrick Mullins |
| 2021 | Sir Gerhard | 1-11 | 6 | 85-40 | Willie Mullins | Rachael Blackmore |
| 2020 | Ferny Hollow | 221 | 5 | 11-1 | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend |
| 2019 | Envoi Allen | 111 | 5 | 2-1F | Gordon Elliott | Jamie Codd |
| 2018 | Relegate | 11 | 5 | 25-1 | Willie Mullins | Katie Walsh |
| 2017 | Fayonagh | 811 | 6 | 7-1 | Gordon Elliott | Jamie Codd |
| 2016 | Ballyandy | 1121 | 5 | 5-1 | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2015 | Moon Racer | 1-1 | 6 | 9-2F | David Pipe | Tom Scudamore |
CHAMPION BUMPER KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Won last time out, 10/10
- Aged five or six, 10/10
- Won a bumper worth at least £4,000 or €4,000 to the winner, 9/10
- Adjusted RPR of at least 138, 8/10
- Off the track for at least 32 days, 8/10 (four not seen since Christmas or earlier)
- Won a bumper with at least 12 runners, 9/10
Other factors
- Ireland has won eight of the last ten and 25 of the 32 runnings.
- Willie Mullins has had the most winners with 13 victories (five in the last ten years) but is often mob-handed. On four of the occasions he won, he saddled just one runner; on the other nine, the winner was not his most fancied in the market on all but two occasions (Facile Vega in 2022 and Jasmin De Vaux in 2024).
- Gordon Elliott has trained two of the last eight winners.
Check out all of our latest Cheltenham Free Bets ahead of placing your bets on the 2025 Champion Bumper
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - CHAMPION BUMPER 2024
Willie Mullins celebrated his 100th Cheltenham Festival winner when Jasmin De Vaux scored under the trainer’s son Patrick. The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned five-year-old was successful on his Naas debut for the trainer and stayed on best up the Cheltenham hill to win by a length and three quarters. Mullins, combined with Gordon Elliott, were responsible for the first seven home in a race that has been won by Irish-trained horses for the last eight years. The Dan Skelton-trained Royal Infantry fared best of the British challenge in eighth.