When is the Champion Bumper 2020?

Cheltenham Wednesday 11th March 5.30pm

Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Open NH Flat Race)  (Grade 1) (4-6yo)

Distance: 2 Miles ½ furlongs

Weights –10st 11lb (4yo), 11st 5lb (5-6yo), 7lb allowance for fillies and mares

The seventh and final race on day two is the Champion Bumper. It is a grade one national hunt flat race, over a distance of about two miles and 100 yards.

Some of the winners of this race have gone on to be superstars over jumps in years to come.

Notable past winners include Florida Pearl, Cue Card, and Champagne Fever.

This is another race where the top stables generally do well, but it isn’t always the fancied horses that win. For example, the year that Cue Card won, it went off at 40/1.

Champion Bumper Trends and Statistics

Here are the Cheltenham Champion Bumper 12 Year Trends and Statistics

• Age – Eleven of the last twelve winners were aged five or six.
• Starting Price – Seven of the last twelve winners returned at odds between 12/1 and 40/1.
• Last Run – All of the last twelve winners won on their previous run before Cheltenham. Eleven of the last twelve runners last ran within 87 days.
• Course Form – Ten of the last twelve winners had never previously run at Cheltenham.
• Distance Form – Eleven of the last twelve winners had at least one run over between 1m 7f and 2m 1f and at least one win over the trip.
• Flat Form – Ten of the last twelve winners had at least two previous flat runs and all twelve winners had at least one previous flat win.
• Rating – All of the last twelve winners were rated 118 or higher.
  Season Form – All of the last twelve winners had at least one run and one win in the current.

Who are the Champion Bumper Leading Contenders?

Currently the leading contenders for the 2020 Weatherby’s Champion Bumper are:

• APPRECIATE IT
  
• PANIC ATTACK
• ISRAEL CHAMP
• BALLYADAM

What’s Keith’s Champion Bumper Tips for 2020?

Here is Keith’s tip for the 2020 Weatherby’s Champion Bumper.

Grade 2 bumper winner APPRECIATE IT ticks plenty of boxes and Willie Mullins knows what is required to win this race however the current odds of 7/4 puts me off and I am looking for a bit more value.

PANIC ATTACK won impressively on debut this is what I told the FRT Inner Circle members back in January:

“Impressive winner of a listed bumper at Market Rasen on debut, comfortably taking care of the field without breaking sweat. Probable Champion Bumper contender.”

Since that win she has been bought out of the Willie Mullins yard and moved to trainer David Pipe and while aged just four she misses the age vital statistic but we had a four year old in this race last year that finished second.

My selection for the Champion Bumper 2020 is: PANIC ATTACK 10/1 each way (NRNB).

As this article is written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Ladies Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 2. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 2 card, and his final Day 2 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 2 tips (including for this race) on the morning of Ladies Day.

What was Keith’s Champion Bumper Tip for 2019?

FRT Tipster Keith’s wrote this for the 2019 Champion Bumper

The ante post market is dominated by Gordon Elliott with ENVOI ALLEN, MALONE ROAD and ANDY DUFRESNE but I like one trained by his old adversary Willie Mullins, BLUE SARI was impressive on debut at Galway and should have a big future.

My selection BLUE SARI 10/1 each way, at just 4 years old he is younger than the stats suggest but his win last time was an outstanding performance.

Result: 1st ENVOI ALLEN, 2nd BLUE SARI

Champion Bumper Previous Winners

• 2008 Cousin Vinny 5 Patrick Mullins[a] Willie Mullins
• 2009 Dunguib 6 Brian O’Connell[a] Philip Fenton
• 2010 Cue Card 4 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard
• 2011 Cheltenian 5 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs
• 2012 Champagne Fever 5 Patrick Mullins Willie Mullins
• 2013 Briar Hill 5 Ruby Walsh Willie Mullins
• 2014 Silver Concorde 6 Robbie McNamara Dermot Weld
• 2015 Moon Racer 6 Tom Scudamore David Pipe
• 2016 Ballyandy 5 Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies
• 2017 Fayonagh 6 Jamie Codd Gordon Elliott
• 2018 Relegate 5 Katie Walsh Willie Mullins
• 2019 Envoi Allen 5 Jamie Codd Gordon Elliott

As these articles are written in advance of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, the likely contenders are expected to change as we get closer to Ladies Day. The picture also starts to get much clearer as we approach the festival, with trainers starting to show their cards in the weeks leading up to Day 2. 

To get Keith’s very latest, up-to-date thoughts on the Day 2 card, and his final Day 2 tips, simply register as a FREE FRT member here, and Keith will email you the full Day 2 tips on the morning of Ladies Day.

Who is FRT’s Cheltenham Day 2 Tipster?

Keith Bond is our resident pro tipster here at FRT Towers. Keith lives and breathes horse racing, having begun his love of horse racing over 40 years ago with a part time job at Catterick Racecourse, as one of three fourteen year-olds looking after two jumps and a hurdle.

Over the years, Keith has been a regular at the northern tracks attending countless race meetings and building up a network of contacts, and a portfolio of systems and strategies. 

He was one of the co-founders of Free Racing Tips all the way back in 2008, and his free tips are now backed by more than seventy thousand FRT members every single day.

“Thanks Keith – It’s great to be part of an amazing group of people all after the same thing, passing on tips to beat the bookies” 

Colin Parkinson, Harrow.

The FRT community love Keith’s attention to detail, knowledge of past races, and ability to pick horses…

“You offer some great tips, some fantastic outsiders tipped up as well. Most tipsters just put up favourites. Well done and keep up the good work”

John Woolley, Stockport