The final action from the Cheltenham Festival Day 2 is our Champion Bumper betting preview for this NH Flat race.
This is the third and final Grade 1 race of Ladies’ Day as well and it gives punters the chance to look at awesome potential future stars of chasing.
The Champion Bumper is the biggest flat race on the National Hunt calendar and it has been a springboard to some big Cheltenham stars like Ballyandy, Cue Card and Envoi Allen.
Our betting experts have a look through the field as some of the contenders from the early entries and study the latest Champion Bumper betting odds.
Champion Bumper Details
Date: 16th March 2022
Time: 17:30
Grade: Grade 1
Distance: 2m 1/2f
Age: 4 to 6-year-olds
Champion Bumper Favourites and Outsiders
Longer priced winners have shown up in the last ten renewals of the Champion Bumper, so the full field is going to have been scoped out for this year’s betting.
Five of the last ten winners of the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival have been at least an 11/1 SP.
Four of the last ten renewals of this race have been won at 16/1 or bigger odds.
Last year’s winner was Sir Gerhard who was one of the stronger contenders in the market from a 85/40 SP.
As for favourites specifically, there have been two winning favourites in the last decade of action at the Champion Bumper betting.
The field will take a little more shape when the final declarations are in because that will affect the Champion Bumper betting market.
For now, our racing betting experts look at the ante-post for Cheltenham Festival betting odds 2022.
Table of Contents
- 1 Champion Bumper Details
- 2 Champion Bumper Favourites and Outsiders
- 3 Champion Bumper Odds Cheltenham 2022
- 4 About the Champion Bumper
- 5 Champion Bumper contenders – 16th March
- 6 Champion Bumper Trends Cheltenham 2022
- 7 Champion Bumper 2021 Review
- 8 Cheltenham Festival 2022 Day 2
- 9 Champion Bumper Former Winners
- 10 Champion Bumper Betting Offers
Champion Bumper Odds Cheltenham 2022
While we can take a look at the ante-post Champion Bumper odds for 2022, the market will likely take on a different complexion closer to the start of the Festival.
When the final declarations for the Champion Bumper, which happens 48 hours out, are in, punters will know exactly who is going to the start.
For now, here is a list of current Champion Bumper odds taken at the time of writing.
Facile Vega 11/10
American Mike 5/2
Redemption Day 6/1
Mercurey 10/1
James’s Gate 12/1
Mullenbeg 20/1
Our Jester 20/1
Poetic Music 25/1
Music Driver 25/1
Houlanbatordechais 33/1
Imagine 33/1
Rosy Redrum 33/1
Madmansgame 33/1
40/1 bar
* (odds recorded at 20:26 GMT on March 9th, 2022 at Coral)
About the Champion Bumper
The Champion Bumper is a National Hunt Flat race that is contested at roughly 2m 1/2 furlong.
It was introduced in 1992 as the Festival Bumper and has gone through different titles because of sponsorship.
A bumper is a flat race, a good entry into the world of chasing distances without the obstacles in the win.
It’s a good springboard for future talent and there is no bigger bumper in horse racing than this one.
The Champion Bumper is the final action of Day 2 and therefore on the Old Course at the Cheltenham Racecourse. Fillies & Mares get a 7lb allowance for the race, as do 4-year-olds.
Only horses aged between 4 and 6 can enter the Champion Bumper.
Champion Bumper contenders – 16th March
For the next part of this 2022 Champion Bumper betting preview for the Cheltenham Festival 2022 we are going to size up a few of the leading contenders in the ante post market.
Fuller, more in-depth tips and analyses will come closer to the start of the Festival when the field is known for certain.
FACILE VEGA has been a very strong one in the ante-post for Champion Bumper betting for the 2022 renewal and is the current 11/10 favourite* (odds recorded at 20:26 GMT on March 9th, 2022 at Coral).
Given that he goes for Willie Mullins who has a superb record in this fixture, then Facile Vega could well build on the early promise that he has shown.
It’s been two wins from two in NH Flat action at Leopardstown from him, both scores happening by a wide margin.
Others who could feature
AMERICAN MIKE is at 5/2 and looking like he could pose a threat in the fixture with two wins from two having been recorded by him as well* (odds recorded at 20:26 GMT on March 9th, 2022 at Coral).
His NH Flat victories came at Down Royal and Navan towards the end of last year. American Mike won the latter of those by 17l on a 2m trip.
MERCUREY, who claims an allowance as a 4-year-old, is another of the potentially strong contenders on show from trainer Willie Mullins in this one.
He made a winning start in an NH Flat race at Gowran, scoring by a wide margin as the race favourite on the day. He looks like he has a lot more in him.
The fascinating thing about Champion Bumper betting is that punters are looking at unexposed contenders.
It is therefore often worth following the market.
Other names that jump off the page for the Champion Bumper ante-post betting this year are POETIC MUSIC who has won all three efforts on the flat, along with OUR JESTER and MULLENBEG.
Champion Bumper Trends Cheltenham 2022
For the next part of this Champion Bumper Preview 2022, we are going to dive into some of the trends surrounding the event. To do that, we cast an eye back over the last 20 editions of this Grade 1 fixture.
Champion Bumper Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer over the last 20 renewals of the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival is Willie Mullins. He has had a heavy hand in this race and has produced 7 winners.
That has been from a massively lopsided entry tally of 72. No other trainer in that period has even had 15 entries, just to put all of that into context.
So the entries for Willie Mullins this year in the Champion Bumper are going to be well worth a look.
Gordon Elliott is the only other trainer to have won the race more than once in the last 20 renewals, having picked up two scores.
Jonjo O’Neill, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have all had more than 10 entries in the Champion Bumper without a single success.
Champion Bumper Jockey Statistics
Sometimes you do get a flat jockey in the fixture showing up and competition, but it’s not particularly common. The only two jockeys to have won the fixture twice in the last two decades have been Patrick Mullins and Jamie Codd.
Of those two is Codd with the more recent form as both of his wins have come inside the last five renewals of the Champion Bumper in 2017 and 2019.
Other Key Champion Bumper Trends
Favourites have generally done fairly well in this contest in the last decade. Five of the last eight have finished in the top two in the fixture. So it is something to watch for in Champion Bumper betting this year.
None of the last 20 winners of the Champion Bumper had been beaten by more than 1l last time out and had earned between 1 and 3 wins for the current season before heading to the Festival.
All but one of the last 20 renewals have been won by a horse that had won last time out and was at a quote of no bigger than 8/1 last time out either.
Watch for our more in-depth analysis and Champion Bumper tips closer to the day of the big race.
Champion Bumper 2021 Review
SIR GERHARD delivered the goods for Willie Mullins last year, ridden home successfully by Rachael Blackmore.
Sir Gerhard got the score from a quote of 85/40 having touched on a little longer than that in the market at one point.
KILCRUIT tried to mount a late challenge in the final furlong and was staying on well, but the line arrived just when he perhaps needed a little further.
Kilcruit finished half a length back of Sir Gerhard having gone off as the 10/11 odds-on favourite.
Coming home third was ELLE EST BELLE who was a big 16/1 SP.
There was a bold challenge at the final turn from Elle Est Belle but was still a long way back of the front two at the end of the day, finishing six lengths back of Kilcruit.
Cheltenham Festival 2022 Day 2
Day 2 Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumpers 2022
- 13:30 The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle Champion Bumper
- 14:10 The Brown Advisory Novices’ Steeple Chase
- 14:50 The Coral Cup Hurdle
- 15:30 The Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeplechase
- 16:10 The Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase
- 16:50 The Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
- 17:30 The Champion Bumper
Champion Bumper Former Winners
| Year | Winner | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2021 | Sir Gerhard | 85/40 | Rachael Blackmore | Willie Mullins |
| 2020 | Ferny Hollow | 11/1 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2019 | Envoi Allen | 2/1F | Mr J J Codd | Gordon Elliott |
| 2018 | Relegate | 25/1 | Ms K Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2017 | Fyanoagh | 7/1 | Mr J J Codd | Gordon Elliott |
| 2016 | Ballyandy | 5/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2015 | Moon Race | 9/2F | Tom Scudamore | David Pipe |
| 2014 | Silver Concorde | 16/1 | Robbie McNamara | D K Weld |
| 2013 | Briar Hill | 25/1 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2012 | Champagne Fever | 16/1 | Patrick Mullins | Willie Mullins |
Champion Bumper Betting Offers
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