The Champion Bumper is a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race which is open to horses aged four to six years. It is run as the last race on the Wednesday of the Cheltenham festival over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards. The event was established in 1992, and it was initially called the Festival Bumper. In its early years it had various sponsors, including the Tote and Guinness. A more sustained period of sponsorship began when Weatherbys began supporting the race in 1997, and since then it has been known by its present title. The Champion Bumper is the most prestigious flat race, or "bumper", in the National Hunt calendar. It often features horses which go on to become leading performers over obstacles, such as Florida Pearl and Cue Card, but is often won by horses who don't particularly go on to achieve much of note thereafter. The leading jockey in the contest is Ruby Walsh with 3 wins whilst in the training ranks, none can get anywhere near the record of Willie Mullins' 9 victories in the race. 28 horses have been entered in the 2019 renewal (max field size is 24) and it is no surprise to see a Willie Mullins runner heading the betting. Blue Sari has had one run, ambling up by 11 lengths from the JP McManus owned Front View, a performance which prompted McManus to buy Blue Sari. As one of four 4YO geldings in the race, Blue Sari will receive 8lbs from the older geldings and a pound from older mares. Pushing Blue Sari for favouritism in most books is the Cheveley Park owned Envoi Allen, trained by Gordon Elliot. He has won 3 bumpers this winter including the Grade 2 event at the Dublin Racing Festival, where he accounted for Joseph O'Brien's Meticulous (also entered in Cheltenham and third favourite in many lists). The shortest price for an English trained runner is fourth favourite Get In The Queue (14/1), trained by Harry Fry and owned by the Rooneys, who have relented on their decision to have no runners at Cheltenham. Notably, Paul Nicholls has entered the most runners (4) whereas Willie Mullins has just 2, Mount Leinster joining Blue Sari. The award for most patience goes to Colin Tizzard, who has kept Master Debonair in bumpers with this race in mind. Of course the forum awaits with eager anticipation the thoughts of the Bumper King. No pressure Stick
I will have a long look at the weekend when we have lost a few more but my ante post a few weeks ago on one of the Daily Threads was GET IN THE QUEUE and at the time he was 25/1. I think he is the reason for the Rooney U-turn Since putting him up he appeared from the gloom at Exeter with a huge lead and still on the bridle.
I don't often bet in Bumpers but I also had a go on Get In The Queue, only at 10/1 though. I felt his last win was as impressive as anything this season and in a way I feel the same about him as I did about Moon Racer in his year. Well supported of late and into a general 6/1 now, I reckon he may go off favourite for this and hopefully come up the hill pursued by daylight. I'll be mightily disappointed if he isn't bang there.
No harm to me with NRNB but its a sickener for some for sure. I don't know it happens but it always seems that horses are slashed across the boards just before they are declared out of the race. Get In The Queue was well backed last week and threatening to go favourite. His odds had basically halved from the 10/1 I took and it's annoying to have a price and then just have a non-runner. I don't fancy anything else in the Bumper so I'll stick my refund as a top up on Battleoverdoyen in the Ballymore.
There's a regular who comes into one of our shops, and he has lost just under 3k this Cheltenham due to his ante post bets. We even advised him to wait until some of the races were NRNB at least, but he was adamant. He told us if we didn't want his money, he would go to Hills. What can you do when they're that adamant/confident/stubborn/pig-headed/bloody stupid* (delete as applicable)
The frustrating thing is that the horse isn't even injured - they have just decided they are going to the big bumper at Newbury instead.
