Champion Bumper

The biggest national hunt flat race of the year where punters flock to back the representatives of six-time winner Willie Mullins - but is there any value in the Mullins' runners anymore?

Champion Bumper Trends

10/10	had won a bumper with at least thirteen runners
9/10	were last time out winners(that stat covers seventeen of the nineteen winners of the Champion Bumper)
9/10	were aged five or six
8/10	won a bumper worth at least 4k (pounds or euros) to the winner
8/10	were off the track for at least 32 days
7/10	were bred in Ireland
7/10	were trained in Ireland(and fourteen of all the nineteen winners of this race!)

Champion Bumper Analysis

Irish trainers have dominated this race since its inception in 1992 but that is perhaps not surprising given the history that surrounds bumpers in Ireland compared to their fairly lukewarm acceptance in this country.

Only five British trainers have managed to win this race in its nineteen year history, although two of those victories came in 2010 and 2011.

Willie Mullins runners are always very popular given he has won this race six times, including twice in the last ten years. However, with over thirty runners during those ten years his supporters would be losing money backing his runners on a level stakes basis.

We could be better focusing on the stat that states that horses do well who have won bumpers with thirteen runners or more. This is very significant as small field bumpers will be run at a very slow early pace and bear no resemblance to the test those horses will face at Cheltenham. Making a short-list of horses that have won a bumper of at least thirteen runners will immediately cut the choices in this race down considerably.

Champion Bumper Last Ten Winners

Table below shows the last ten winners of the race, their age at the time of winning, trainer, jockey and odds (starting price).

Year	Horse	Age	Trainer	Jockey	Price
2011	Cheltenian	5yo	P Hobbs	R Johnson	14/1
2010	Cue Card	4yo	C Tizzard	J Tizzard	40/1
2009	Dunguib	6yo	P Fenton	Mr B OConnell	9/2
2008	Cousin Vinny	5yo	W Mullins	Mr P Mullins	12/1
2007	Cork All Star	5yo	Mrs J Harrington	B Geraghty	11/2
2006	Hairy Molly	6yo	J Crowley	P Carberry	33/1
2005	Missed That	6yo	W Mullins	R Walsh	7/2F
2004	Total Enjoyment	5yo	T Cooper	J Culloty	7/1
2003	Liberman	5yo	M Pipe	AP McCoy	2/1F
2002	Pizarro	5yo	E OGrady	J Spencer	14/1

Champion Bumper Preview and Tips

Nicky Henderson has made no secret of the fact that he believes the Champion Bumper may not help the long term career of a horse and his 0/9 return on all his runners in the race seems to suggest that if he does enter one for the Bumper it may well be best avoided.

Jonjo O'Neill and Nigel Twiston-Davies have also both had poor returns in this race (0/12 and 0/14 respectively), although Twiston-Davies did manage fourth place in 2011.

Paul Nicholls has a similarly disappointing return from his runners (0/9) but the Champion Trainer seems keen to add the Bumper to his Cheltenham collection and Al Ferof would have been an easy winner in 2010 had he not bumped into Cue Card. The Nicholls' horses tend to be later maturing types but keep an eye out for any entries he has in 2012 as they are likely to carry strong stable support.