A history of Cheltenham Champion Bumper winners

With Cheltenham Festival coming up, let’s take a look back at the past winners of the Champion Bumper, and its most successful competitors.

Inaugurated in 1992, the Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 race held on day two (Wednesday) of the Cheltenham Festival each year. It is often regarded among the most prestigious flat races in the National Hunt calendar, with the 2025 race having a purse of £80,000.

With the 2026 Cheltenham Festival coming up, let’s take a look back at the past winners of the Champion Bumper, as well as the most successful competitors in the history of the race. Here is our brief history of Champion Bumper winners.

Or, if you’re interested in learning more about the biggest names of Festivals gone by, check out some of the most noteworthy winners of Cheltenham over the years.

Who are the last ten Champion Bumper winners?

These are the winning horses, jockeys, and trainers from each Champion Bumper over the last decade:

Who are the most notable horses in Champion Bumper history?

Since its inception in 1992, no horse has won the Champion Bumper more than once. Some winners stand out from the rest, however, and went on to have successful careers in other Grade 1 races. Here are some of the ‘best’ winners in the history of the Champion Bumper:

Envoi Allen

Envoi Allen rose to prominence after his victory in the 2019 Champion Bumper, kicking off a career that includes various Grade 1 wins. He found further success at Cheltenham in 2020 when he won the Ballymore Novices Hurdle, marking his second win at the festival.

Florida Pearl

In 1997, Florida Pearl became the second horse trained by Willie Mullins to win the Champion Bumper (before enjoying further Cheltenham success when he placed in two Gold Cups). Outside of the Festival, he also won a record four Irish Gold Cups (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004) and the 2001 King George VI Chase.

Cue Card

Entering the race with odds of just 40/1, Cue Card’s win at the 2010 Champion Bumper was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the race. He is also the youngest winner of all time, racing at just 4 years old. Cue Card would go on to win Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase in 2013, two Ascot Chases (2013 and 2017), and the 2015 King George VI Chase.

Champagne Fever

Starting as a 16/1 outsider, Champagne Fever beat the odds to place first in the Champion Bumper in 2012. He beat several of the favourites to win, including New Year’s Eve, The New One, and Jezki;  crossing the finish line with a lead of one and a half lengths. He would later win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2013 and the Deloitte Novice Hurdle in the same year.

Who are the most successful trainers in Champion Bumper history?

Training also plays a crucial role in the success of a horse at the Champion Bumper. Here are the trainers who have taken home multiple wins in the race:

Willie Mullins

A dominant name in modern racing, Willie Mullins is by far the most successful trainer in this race. He has trained a total of 14 Champion Bumper winners throughout his career. Incidentally, his son, Patrick Mullins, is also one of the most successful Champion Bumper jockeys.

Gordon Elliott

Though nobody comes close to Willie Mullins’ Champion Bumper record, Gordon Elliott can at least claim to be a two-time winner – one of just three trainers who’ve earned that title. Elliott trained two Champion Bumper winners – Fayonagh (2017) and Envoi Allen (2019), although various controversies have overshadowed his training career. Meanwhile, Elliott also has three Grand National wins to his name, and the 2016 Gold Cup.

Edward O’Grady

Another trainer with multiple Champion Bumper victories is Edward O’Grady, who trained Mucklemeg (1994) and Pizarro (2002). His other most notable wins include the 2003 Aintree Hurdle with Sacundai and the 1983 Irish Grand National with Bit of a Skite.

Who are the most successful jockeys in Champion Bumper history?

Only a handful of jockeys in history have earned multiple wins at the Champion Bumper. Here are some of the most famous names to have found repeated success in the race:

Patrick Mullins

With Patrick Mullins being the son of all-time top Champion Bumper winning trainer Willie Mullins, success clearly runs in the family. Patrick Mullins’ first victory in the Champion Bumper came in 2008 on Cousin Vinny; and since then, he has become the only jockey in history to win the event four times, with further victories in 2012, 2022, and 2024. Notably, his father trained each of the horses he won with.

Ruby Walsh

One of the best-known jockeys in the sport, Ruby Walsh is the third-most prolific winner in the history of British and Irish jump racing, and was named Irish National Hunt champion jockey on 12 occasions. Walsh won three Champion Bumper races across his career, claiming victories in 1998, 2005, and 2013. His sister, Katie Walsh, also won the 2018 event.

Jamie Codd

Regarded as one of the greatest amateur jockeys of all time, Jamie Codd has won two Champion Bumper races, with Fayonagh in 2017 and Envoi Allen in 2019. His wider career includes ten Cheltenham Festival wins!

Richard Dunwoody

Richard Dunwoody has won the Champion Bumper on two occasions, earning his first victory with Montelado in 1992. Five years later, he won the race again with an iconic ride on Florida Pearl. Dunwoody was his generation’s only jockey to win the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Champion Hurdle. 

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