Champion Bumper Predictions, Betting Tips, Odds & Trends (Cheltenham 2025 - DAY 2)
- Written by David Bet
The Champion Bumper is a National Hunt flat race run over two miles and 87 yards, open to four to six-year-old horses and run on the old course at the Cheltenham racetrack at Prestbury Park. The Willie Mullins-trained Jasmin De Vaux was last year's winner at odds of 9/2. This post contains our Champion Bumper race preview with free predictions, tips, betting trends, best odds, free bets and no deposit bonuses on the 2025 Cheltenham Festival.
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CHAMPION BUMPER BETTING PREVIEW
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper concludes the second day of racing at the Cheltenham Festival. It's a Grade 1 National Hunt flat race run over two miles and half a furlong, for horses aged four to six. Because this is a flat race, also know as a 'bumper', it rather obviously doesn’t feature any jumps. A great contest to watch for future reference, with unexposed horses from UK and Ireland clashing for the first time for this prestigious prize.
This race always produces a crop of exciting hurdlers for next season and has been dominated by the Irish trainers, and particularly Willie Mullins, down the years. With big prices available for a lot of horses because with so little form on offer, online bookmakers and punters often find it hard to pick out a favourite.
And now we take a closer look at this year's Weatherbys Champion Bumper and try to determine which horse is likely to prevail.
Who will win the Champion Bumper 2025?
GAMEOFINCHES, a son of Blue Bresil, was sent off favourite for his point-to-point debut at Cragmore last year when he took an unfortunate tumble at the last fence. He now heads the market after scoring in a similar contest at Dromahane and tanking to victory at Punchestown last month.
COPACABANA, also by super stallion Blue Bresil, recorded an impressive debut victory at Navan beating Burrows Drive by 5 lengths, while NO DRAMA THIS END ran out a commanding winner of what looked to be a competitive contest at Warwick. Both are prominent in the betting and should not be understimate.
Willie Mullins' BAMBINO FEVER was really impressive at the Dublin Racing Festival storming to victory in a Grade 2 under Jodie Townend. Prior to that Patrick Mullins steered her home at Punchestown over 2m2½f on New Year's Eve. Back to back victories should have sealed her ticket to the Cotswolds for a crack at this race.
Gordon Elliott's KALYPSO'CHANCE is still unbeaten. He won the same Listed bumper at Navan that Sir Gerhard and Envoi Allen claimed before following up at the Cheltenham Festival.
FORTUNE DE MER won at Cheltenham earlier this season and was then beaten under a penalty on a sharp track last time. Dan Skelton's star has run at Cheltenham twice prior to that outing, finishing second to Block Rockin Beats in October before reversing that form to claim Listed glory at the November Meeting.
AQUA FORCE won by 28 lengths at Gowran Park and has since been bought privately by JP McManus. A six-year-old by Workforce, she kept on well on soft ground, looking like a thorough stayer.
Dark Horses?
Another entry for Willie Mullins is SORTUDO, a horse that has shown a solid level of form in three runs. He won at Tramore on testing ground in November and has twice since finished second at Leopardstown over 2m.
EL CAIROS won at Newbury back in early-November andalso scored at Exeter recently. He took a keen hold under David Maxwell but powered clear in the closing stages to win by 6½ lengths.
IDAHO SUN won at Newton Abbot in the autumn, in a race which has since worked out well, and confirmed the form with the runner-up (who finished third) in the valuable bumper at Windsor during the Berkshire Winter Million weekend.
MOSSY FEN ROAD bolted up in an Irish point-to-point for Donnacha Doyle. He was purchased by Harry Derham and Barratt Racing and paid the first dividends when scoring on his bumper debut at Wetherby. He looks a serious horse, and shouldn't be overlooked.
Latest Odds
At the moment, the most backed horses are the following:
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CHAMPION BUMPER TRENDS
- Just 7 of the 32 favourites won (but two in the last two renewals)
- 23 of the last 32 winners came from the top 6 in the betting
- The last 20 winners won last time out
- 25 of the 32 winners were trained in Ireland (12 by Willie Mullins)
- 18 of the last 19 winners were aged 5 or 6 years-old
- 8 of the last 10 winners were rated 126 or more
- 7 of the last 9 winners had run in February
CHAMPION BUMPER PREDICTIONS
Find below our free betting tips on the Weatherbys Champion Bumper 2025. Feel free to copy our Cheltenham Festival predictions and get the best odds available on the market by clicking the 'Bet' button! Don't miss our horse racing tips anymore, bookmark our horse racing free betting tips page!
Ruby Walsh's Champion Bumper Tips
Cheltenham Festival’s winning-most jockey turned TV pundit Ruby Walsh has shared his Champion Bumper tips."Bambino Fever surprised up a bit at Leopardstown. She’s a pretty good mare. We’ve only had Aqua Force a couple of weeks. Gameofinches came to us after winning a point-to-point in November so we didn’t have him in the yard until a couple of weeks after that. He had been trained to win that so he’s a very lean horse. He’s not difficult to train but you can’t train them like one you’ve had through pre-season and you’re building through the year. COPACABANA is that horse. He’s been in the routine a long time. I was impressed with him at Navan. I put him up after that and I haven’t changed my mind. He’s the one."
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2025 CHELTENHAM DAY 2 TIPS AND PREDICTIONS
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2025 CHAMPION BUMPER FAQs
What time is the Champion Bumper?
The Champion Bumper is the 7th and last race run on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival. That falls on Wednesday March 12, 2025 and the official starting time is 5:20pm.
How many obstacles are jumped in the Champion Bumper?
There are no obstacles to jump for the Champion Bumper runners
What is the distance of the Champion Bumper?
The Champion Bumper is run on a distance of 2 miles and 87 yards
What is the prize money for the Champion Bumper?
The total prize money on offer for the Champion Bumper at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival will be £80,000.
Who won the Champion Bumper last year?
Last year's renewal was won by Jasmin De Vaux at SP of 9/2, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Patrick Mullins.
What weights are carried for the Champion Bumper?
10st 11lbs (4yo). 11st 5lb (5yo-6yo). 7lb allowance for fillies and mares.
Who is the leading jockey in the Champion Bumper?
Ruby Walsh is the most successful jockey, having won this race on three occasions. Hence, don't underestimate his "successor" Paul Townend and Patrick Mullins. Jamie Codd has only had four rides in the race, all for Gordon Elliott, but he has yielded two wins, a runner-up two years ago and a third in 2020. Amateur riders based in Ireland have won five of the last seven editions.
Who is the leading trainer in the Champion Bumper?
Willie Mullins has won 13 Champion Bumpers and in the last 11 years, including 5 of the last seven renewals. From 14 runners, Gordon Elliott has saddled two winners, two seconds and two thirds.
