The Weatherbys Champion Bumper might be the odd one out on Cheltenham’s jumping card, but it has long since earned its place as a serious championship race.
Run over 2m½f on the Old Course, Wednesday’s 5:20pm closer brings together unexposed youngsters from four to six years of age, many of whom will be lining up over hurdles at future Festivals.
With a maximum field of 22 set to go to post, there will be plenty of hard-luck stories, but also a fair chance that we are about to meet at least one future Grade 1 winner over obstacles.
Because there are no fences or hurdles, it is easy to think of this as “just” a flat race. In reality, this is a searching stamina test at a strong tempo, on a track that finds out any horse short of grit up the hill.
It is a bumper in name only. In terms of pressure, noise, and the depth of opposition, this is as close to a novice championship as young National Hunt horses will get before they ever see a hurdle.
Key Names At The Head Of The Odds
The betting is likely to be headed by Love Sign d’Aunou, who represents the all-conquering Willie Mullins–Rich Ricci axis and has done very little wrong in limited appearances so far.
He has looked straightforward and classy, with the kind of smooth-travelling style that usually translates well to a fast-run Cheltenham bumper.
The slight worry is experience: these conditions ask different questions to a small-field win at a quieter track, and he will be facing battle-hardened rivals.
Stablemate The Irish Avatar also brings strong credentials, having already shown a likeable attitude in Irish bumpers.
Quiryn is another from the Mullins camp with obvious claims, bringing winning form and the assistance of Paul Townend; the booking alone will make punters sit up and take notice, especially given Townend’s record of keeping things calm in the heat of Festival finishes.
Keep Him Company, trained by Gordon Elliott but owned by Gigginstown, has already advertised his ability and tactical speed and will have plenty of backers if the ground leans towards good to soft.
Broadway Ted looks a tough and progressive sort, the type who might be slightly underestimated because his form has developed away from the big Saturday cards.
Wilde’s Legacy, from Jamie Snowden, and Bass Hunter from Chris Gordon, are others who have done little wrong to date and look capable of outrunning double-figure prices if things fall their way.
Champion Bumper Runners & Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publication.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Love Sign D’aunou | Mr P W Mullins | W P Mullins | 4/1 |
| Keep Him Company | Jack Kennedy | G Elliott | 6/1 |
| The Mourne Rambler | Colin Keane | N Meade | 7/1 |
| Quiryn | Paul Townend | W P Mullins | 15/2 |
| Bass Hunter | Freddie Gordon | C Gordon | 17/2 |
| The Irish Avatar | H Cobden | W P Mullins | 11/1 |
| Mets Ta Ceinture | Harry Skelton | D Skelton | 12/1 |
| Broadway Ted | S Bowen | G Elliott | 14/1 |
| It’s Only A Game | Mr J L Gleeson | M Brassil | 16/1 |
| Our Trigger | Danny Mullins | W P Mullins | 20/1 |
| Charismatic Kid | Sam Ewing | G Elliott | 22/1 |
| Moonverrin | Mr F Maguire | M Hassett | 25/1 |
| Boycetown | Keith Donoghue | G P Cromwell | 33/1 |
| The Wager | Miss J Townend | W P Mullins | 33/1 |
| With Nolimit | Mr H C Swan | G Elliott | 33/1 |
| Diamant Dore | B S Hughes | A Keatley | 40/1 |
| Wilde’s Legacy | G Sheehan | Jamie Snowden | 40/1 |
| Chicker | J J Burke | F O’Brien | 66/1 |
| The Skecher | Tristan Durrell | D Skelton | 66/1 |
| Of Land And Sea | Richard Condon | P Hennessy | 100/1 |
| Tally Ho Back | Sam Twiston-Davies | N & W Twiston-Davies | 100/1 |
| Vango Can Go | C J Todd | D Skelton | 100/1 |
Narrowing Down The Field
With so many unexposed runners, the aim is more about filtering than finding a single “standout” piece of form.
You can start by ruling out obvious negatives: horses who are four, those beaten comprehensively last time without excuses, or those yet to show that they stay a strong two miles.
It is also worth being wary of runners stepping straight up from modest, small-field contests where they have not been asked a serious question.
You want a horse that settles, travels and then finds again when asked; headstrong types can burn too much petrol early, while one-paced stayers might get caught flat-footed when the taps are turned on down the hill.
Jockey bookings can be revealing too. In yards with multiple runners – particularly the Mullins and Elliott battalions – the choice of stable jockey often signals where connections believe their best chance lies, although this race has a habit of producing “second string” winners as well.
Horses Who Make Appeal In The 2026 Champion Bumper
Working through the trends, Love Sign d’Aunou comes out very well on the core criteria: age, profile and the quality of his win.
The nagging question is whether his limited racecourse experience will leave him vulnerable in the heat of battle, but that is built into a short price, and his stable’s strike-rate in this contest is hard to argue with.
Quiryn shapes as a more than solid alternative at a slightly bigger price. He ticks the age and win-last-time-out boxes, has already shown he can handle a proper race, and should enjoy the test the Old Course provides.
The Irish Avatar looks the type to keep finding, and his previous efforts suggest he will not be fazed by a strongly run contest, making him very interesting if the leaders go hard early.
Enjoy The Unknowns
The Champion Bumper is a race where we know less than we would like, and that is part of its charm.
We do not yet know which of these horses will turn out to be future Grade 1 hurdlers, chasers or, in some cases, talented but frustrating “what might have been” stories.
What we do know is that Wednesday’s 5:20 will cram a lot of noise, speed and pressure into a little over two miles, and the winner will have to be both talented and tough.
From a betting perspective, it is a race that rewards restraint and imagination in equal measure.
Having one or two against the field, perhaps a shorter-priced Mullins hotpot such as Love Sign d’Aunou alongside a sturdier each-way option like Quiryn or The Irish Avatar, makes more sense than trying to solve every angle.
However you play it, the Champion Bumper has a habit of making future form-watchers feel clever or foolish for years afterwards – so take notes now, because you will almost certainly be seeing several of these names again.
BETFRED
