Champion Bumper Guide 2022

Won an uncompetitive heavy ground bumper at Kelso, when beating Eloi Du Puy, when pulling clear of the remainder. The quality of the field suggests he will need to find more than 25lb to trouble the likely players here.

Mammoth task.

One of the leading contenders here, American Mike has been the star bumper horse for Gordon Elliot and he’s followed in the footsteps of Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard, a tried and trusted route for his above average horses. He’s won 3 races including a P2P, by a cumulative distance of 44L.

In each of these starts he’s visually impressed, travelling smoothly and seeming to have push button acceleration.  He’s not ran since late December so there may be an element of recency bias in the market, but he’s a leading chance.

Bang there.

A nice enough horse for the Moore’s, Authorised Speed has been somewhat frustrating to follow. He took three goes to get off the mark in bumpers after promising so much on the first two occasions.

After he won, he was pitched into a listed bumper at Newbury, he was sent off a well supported 13/8, but failed to  trouble the first three. Will need to improve to get involved, but clearly has some ability.

An interesting runner here, Call Me Harry is unbeaten and unexposed, like many of his rivals here. He’s won two bumpers and looked particularly impressive last time out beating Ri Na Farriage on the all weather at Newcastle.

He hasn’t done anything wrong, but there’s a chance this is a very strong crop of horses and he might just come up short.

Second in a P2P and second in a bumper, this horse is a maiden in an ultra competitive contest. He would have need to have been winning his latest start to have any sort of shout in this field.

Hard to recommend.

Fourth out of four at Punchestown on his last start in October. He had previously won a Listowel bumper, but the form hasn’t worked out since.

Peter Fahey does well sending horses over to England, but this fella would need to be well above average, which on the evidence we have, doesn’t look to be the case.

Son of Quevega, in case you hadn’t heard! This horse has been breathtaking in two starts to date. Latterly winning the G2 bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival from very good horses.

He travels with extraordinary ease, and seems to have a potent change of gear. He’s favourite for a reason and will be hard to beat.

Getaway gelding who’s failed to get his head in front in two starts so far. He will need a miracle to get involved here. He’s currently around 200-1, and in the context of his form with today’s opposition, looks short.

Impossible to recommend.

A winner of two french AQPS flat races, on soft and good ground, he’s been relatively untroubled to date. He really could be anything and for a yard that do well with this type of horse you’d be foolish to rule him out.

Interesting.

James’s Gate has won his only start to date, in heavy ground on the 13th of February in impressive fashion. He’s very well bred and comes from a yard that do extraordinarily well with their bumper horses.

One of many live wires for Willie Mullins.

Won a moderate bumper in Navan after finishing a clear and well beaten second to Facile Vega at Leopardstown. He’s not done anything wrong at all, but I’m not sure if he’s the class to reverse the form with Facile Vega.

Won two starts, (one P2P and one bumper) this well bred sort for Willie Mullins really could be anything.

He impressed when knuckling down well to win his bumper, though the exceptional bumper horses tend to really stamp their authority. One for the future, unlikely to trouble too many at the top of the market here.

An interesting runner for Gordon Elliot and Davy Russell. Music Drive won his most recent start beating Sandor Clegane by the narrowest of margins.

Sandor Clegane was beaten 12L by Facile Vega prior to this. Music Drive dug deep to win there, though on collateral form, he’d need to improve again to get involved.

Unlucky not to win first time out, only going down by a nose at Navan. He then ran in a competitive Cheltenham bumper in October that is working out well.

He finished third and stayed on all the way to the line. He’d have learnt plenty from that course outing. Maidens have a terrible record in this though, so will need to be a special horse.

Has won his last two, in taking fashion. Our Jester represents good English form coming into this, and has improved for every race.

He’s comes from a good flat family so is not short of pace. Definite each way claims.

Another likely smart horse for Willie Mullins, he didn’t have to break sweat to win at Leopardstown. The manner of his victory was enough to make you want to rewatch it immediately, I don’t think he came off the bridle.

He clearly has a lot of speed and you get the sense that they like him. Could be anything and more than likely to run a massive race.

From a good family, another unbeaten Willie Mullins horse is entered, in Seabank Bistro here. He won a Naas bumper to Santonito who has won since and it was a mile back to the third.

Could be anything and he made a bright start to his career. Hard to dismiss.

Won a bumper at Market Rasen last time out beaten moderate horse. He’d been knocking on the door plenty in Ireland before capitalising on a weak field here.

Doubt he’s as classy as his rivals, could be a nice horse in the future though. Up against it.

Top Dog has done nothing but improve for trainer Emma Lavelle, latterly winning a good bumper from Rosy Redrum and Authorised Speed.

He won this in gritty fashion, knuckling down well to win. He’s probably short of the top Irish three,  but you’d expect he might well come out on top of the home charge. Each way claims.

Yet another for trainer Willie Mullins here, Viva Devito won last time out in taking fashion, by 16L at Tramore. However, the form isn’t holding up well and he’d need to be pretty special to win here.

One of two fillies in the race who have a respectable record in recent years, Poetic Music is 3/3 winning a bumper first time out that’s worked out relatively well and most recently a ready winner of a listed Cheltenham bumper.

She’ll be up in trip here though so stamina must be a question mark, but she’s done nothing wrong. Interesting.

Rosy Redrum won well first time out for Milton Harris and landed something of a gamble (18/1-4/1f). She travelled with such ease that day I’m sure she went into a lot of trackers.

She confirmed her promise next time out finishing a close second to Top Dog, in a good race. Very interesting getting a significant amount of weight from her rivals. Each way claims.