Grade One Punchestown Champion Bumper Guide 2022

A perfect 3 from 3 in his starts under rules, the son of Quevega handily won his debut at Leopardstown and made light work of a big field.

Truly tested for quality at the Dublin Racing Festival, he shaped like an absolute monster and blitzed a smart field without coming off the bridle.

Facing his sternest test to date in the shape of American Mike in the Champion Bumper, he again rose to the challenge and maintained his unbeaten record. The one to beat.

Yet to win a bumper in his 3 starts for Paul Hennessy Ocean Of Mercy looks to have a mountain to climb to get involved here.

Only beaten by narrow margins on his first two starts, he was horribly outclassed in the champion bumper and only managed to finish 14th.

Likely to be outclassed and well beaten again.

Yet another for Mullins, Viva Deviot was disappointing on his bumper debut when being beaten a wide margin into 4th. Maybe being too keen he weakened gradually late on.

With experience under his belt however, he shaped much better and won at Tramore on soft ground easily. Bolting up by 16 lengths in a very taking display.

Last seen running in the Champion Bumper, he ran well enough to finish midfield but looks nowhere near the quality of the market principles.

A wide margin point to point winner who came to run under rules with two easy successes in bumpers.

Winning on debut at short odds, he then captured a listed race by 17 lengths. The form was boosted by the 2nd who then went on to place in a grade 2 at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Seemingly the only runner who could trouble Facile Vega, he ran a blinder but couldn’t handle the raw power of Facile Vega.

Looks booked for another 2nd place.

Debuting in a bumper at the end of last season, Carnfunnock ran well at a big price at Punchestown to be 3rd.

Put away for the summer, he came back as a 5 year old and won a bumper at Ayr in November. He was last seen coming a distant 3rd behind Facile Vega at Leopardstown in their grade 2 bumper.

Beaten 20 lengths he looks doubtful to be reversing that form but could shape better with more experience behind him and a good break.

Easily winning a bumper on racing debut for Willie Mullins, Redemption Day created a big impression off the back of that run with the form being boosted subsequently.

Well backed in the market for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last month, he was well beaten and wilted back into a poor 13th of the 20 runners. Beaten a massive 65 lengths.

Looks unlikely to reverse the champion bumper form and is probably more at home on soft ground.

Winning his debut here back in December by a big distance, Sandor Clegane was fancied to go to the Dublin Racing Festival for the grade 2 event there but couldn’t live with Facile Vega.

Finishing a well beaten 2nd place in graded company, he looked to drop in class and defy a penalty to another win but found himself overturned at short odds by Music Drive.

The form of that doesn’t look particularly strong and he looks to have some improvement to find to get involved.

The last of the Mullins string, Madmansgame is the biggest priced of the Mullins battalion.

After winning a point to point on soft ground at the end of last year, Madmansgame made his debut under rules on deep ground in a bumper where he duly obliged short priced favouritism.

Another runner who was last seen in the Champion Bumper, he was well fancied at Cheltenham on the heavy ground but failed to get involved, eventually finishing 11th. Likely to be outclassed again.

A winner in a bumper over 19 furlongs at Naas back in late January, Seabank Bistro is another runner for Willie Mullins.

Looking laden with stamina, the son of Walk In The Park built upon his initial success when running a good 4th in the Champion Bumper last month behind Facile Vega.

He didn’t quite seem to get up the hill on the deep ground and weakened late on.

A switch to a firmer surface should suit and he can go close again at a decent each way price.