What does history have to say about the Champion Bumper? Improve your chances of making a winning Cheltenham bet by gaining a better understanding of our Champion Bumper trends guide.
The most prestigious flat race in the National Hunt calendar and the only flat race held at Cheltenham Festival, the Champion Bumper has been a highly successful event since it began in 1992. Aimed at horses aged between four and six, it is a good stepping stone for future stars – whether they win the race or not.
But what can we learn from looking a bit closer at the race results over time? We will dive into the key trends shown over the recent winners to help you out the next time you’re betting on the event. Here are some of the most important Champion Bumper trends and stats that you should know about:
Key Champion Bumper trends
The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 flat race and is typically for horses who are yet to begin their jumping careers. When deciding on your next bet, there are a few factors that come into play – but if you are aware of the following trends, you should find picking a horse much easier.
Does the favourite usually win the Champion Bumper?
Being the favourite to win the Champion Bumper doesn’t necessarily work out in a horse’s favour if history is anything to go by. Since 2000, the favourite has only won five times with the most recent occasion coming in 2022:
Facile Vega (2022): 15/8
Envoi Allen (2019): 2/1
Moon Racer (2015): 9/2
Missed That (2005): 7/2
Liberman (2003): 2/1
The biggest upset that occurred in the Champion Bumper was back in 2010, with the four-year-old Cue Card winning at 40/1 odds. The favourite, Shot From The Hip (3/1), finished in 20th place.
What is the average age of a Champion Bumper winning horse?
The average age of Champion Bumper winning horses is an interesting trend that could heavily influence your decisions. Across the 33 years that the event has been held, 22 of them have been won by horses aged five. Six-year-old horses come in at a distant second with eight wins and four-year-olds have only had one win this century.
Since 2016, eight wins have been earned by five-year-old horses and only two have been by six-year-old horses – with these victories coming in 2017 and 2021.
How many Champion Bumper winners won last time out?
Past form, although a good indicator, isn’t always something that should be relied on when deciding which horse might come away with a win. In the Champion Bumper however, it appears to be a very good thing to investigate. The last 22 winners of the event won last time out, meaning this is a strong indicator as to which horses have a chance of seeing success.
The last time that a horse won the Champion Bumper and hadn’t won the previous race was Liberman in 2003.
When did Champion Bumper winners last compete?
Just as it’s useful to know if they won last time out, knowing when a horse last competed is also essential information:
Bambino Fever (2025) – 39 days
Jasmin De Vaux (2024) – 46 days
A Dream To Share (2023) – 40 days
Facile Vega (2022) – 40 days
Sir Gerhard (2021) – 90 days
Ferny Hollow (2020) – 19 days
Envoi Allen (2019) – 38 days
Relegate (2018) – 39 days
Feyonagh (2017) – 40 days
Ballyandy (2016) – 33 days
Most horses in the last 10 years have shown that the ideal time between races is just over a month. The only exceptions to this are Ferny Hollow’s 19-day gap (last racing in late February), and Sir Gerhard’s 90-day gap (last racing in December of the year before).
Although this isn’t a nailed-on indicator as to whether a horse will be a success, it does help to narrow down those which might have the perfect amount of rest – with 33-40 days being the most successful window.
Are Champion Bumper winners usually British or Irish trained?
Irish trained horses are certainly more dominant in the Champion Bumper than British trained ones. The last nine winners and runners-up have all been Irish trained, alongside 26 out of 33 winners in the event’s entire history.
This means that the last British trained winner was Ballyandy in 2016, who was trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and ridden by his son Sam.
Which trainer has had the most success in the Champion Bumper?
The trainer with the most success in the competition is the well-renowned Willie Mullins, who’s also the most successful Cheltenham trainer overall. Boasting an impressive 14 wins in this race, he is largely responsible for Irish trained horse’s dominance. He does also tend to run multiple horses each year, leading to near-misses frequently. This doesn’t tarnish his record though, with six of the last 10 (and four of the last five) being won by Mullins:
Bambino Fever (2025) – Willie Mullins
Jasmin De Vaux (2024) – Willie Mullins
A Dream To Share (2023) – John Kiely
Facile Vega (2022) – Willie Mullins
Sir Gerhard (2021) – Willie Mullins
Ferny Hollow (2020) – Willie Mullins
Envoi Allen (2019) – Gordon Elliott
Relegate (2018) – Willie Mullins
Feyonagh (2017) – Gordon Elliott
Ballyandy (2016) – Nigel Twiston-Davies
Why is it important to consider Champion Bumper trends?
Now that we’ve discussed some of the key Champion Bumper trends that have become evident over the years, let’s talk about why they may be worth keeping in mind when making your Cheltenham Festival bets.
Although nothing is guaranteed to indicate that a horse will win, certain statistics do show promising signs as to who will have a good chance. Looking at the age of horses, for example: five years old may be when horses typically win this race, but upsets have happened before (like with Cue Card in 2010). But it’s always best to consider a few different trends to give yourself the best odds when making a bet,
If you would like more tips on how best to prepare for any of the other races, head on over to our Cheltenham blog page to read more guides like this one!
