Tag Archive for: Champion Bumper

Sherwood happy to take Cheltenham Gamble with Queens

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Queens Gamble has Cheltenham form in her favour as she faces off against the might of Ireland in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Oliver Sherwood’s talented mare has impressed twice at the track in her short career, beating Milton Harris’ five-time scorer Mullenbeg by 10 lengths on debut before downing another subsequent victor when scooping Listed honours at Prestbury Park in the autumn.

Despite defeat in her prep race at Market Rasen, Sherwood believes Queens Gamble is more than capable of holding her own and has the six-year-old fighting fit for her return to the track she loves best.

He said: “It’s difficult to assess the form on two ways – firstly taking on the Irish and then going up against the boys for the first time. But she’s entitled to be there and she hasn’t missed a beat.

“She’s in great order and I’ve been really happy with her prep. She loves Cheltenham and the only thing I don’t know is how she will handle this soft ground, but you’re not going to know until you try.

“They set out to beat her at Market Rasen and we got the tactics wrong, so fair play to Paddy (Brennan) and Fergal (O’Brien, jockey and trainer of winner Dysart Enos). She lost nothing in defeat as far as I’m concerned and she goes there with a live each-way chance on Wednesday.

“Johnny Burke knows her inside out, so we keep our fingers crossed.”

Willie Mullins has an enviable record in the Champion Bumper
Willie Mullins has an enviable record in the Champion Bumper (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Willie Mullins has a record 12 victories in this Grade One event and has taken home the trophy for the past three years.

He is responsible for 10 of the 24 heading to post and it is no surprise to see him well represented at the top of the market.

Patrick Mullins has chosen to ride Dublin Racing Festival runner-up Fact To File, which leaves Paul Townend free to take over aboard impressive Navan winner It’s For Me.

It's For Me is set for the Champion Bumper
It’s For Me is set for the Champion Bumper (Gary Carson/PA)

“He has done nothing wrong and is unbeaten in a point to point and a bumper for the owners,” said Anthony Bromley, racing manager for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

“He has got to move forward from that and improve, but he is a very likable horse and in an open year, he has a sound chance.

“There’s no doubt he has to improve from what he has done so far. That said, he is a likable horse with potential, but it is a big step up in class.”

The fly in the Mullins ointment could well be the John Kiely-trained A Dream To Share, who was snapped up by JP McManus after downing Fact To File at Leopardstown, with both runners now sporting the famous green and gold silks at Cheltenham.

Kiely is one of the elder statesman of the training ranks and hopes the five-year-old can remain unbeaten and provide him with the Cheltenham Festival victory that is missing from his CV.

He said: “He’s run very well so far. He’s in good form and we are hoping for a good run.

“It would be nice if he could keep living up to his name – he has done so up to now.”

Patrick Mullins facing tough Champion Bumper choice

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Patrick Mullins believes It’s For Me is a worthy favourite for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper – but admits he faces a tough choice to pick between all his father’s contenders.

Willie Mullins has won the Cheltenham Festival feature 12 times and should his son ride a fourth winner of the Grade One contest in a fortnight’s time, he will go ahead of Ruby Walsh as the race’s most successful rider.

Mullins registered his first Champion Bumper victory aboard Cousin Vinny in 2008 and having partnered plenty of this year’s contenders to success, he rates wide-margin Navan winner It’s For Me as a likely leading light.

He said: “The betting says It’s For Me is our best chance. He won his point-to-point very well, but he was a big price there and although I thought he’d win at Navan last month, I didn’t expect him to win in the manner that he did.

“I’m not sure it was a particularly strong race, but the way he did it was impressive and he would be a fair favourite I’d say.”

Chapeau De Soleil, Western Diego and Fact To File are also prominent in the Closutton team.

“Fact To File improved hugely from his win at Leopardstown at Christmas, so I rode him at the Dublin Racing Festival where he was only beaten by a Flat-bred rival (John Kiely’s entry A Dream To Share) in a slow-run race on good ground,” Mullins added.

“There has to be a chance that he could reverse that form on more watered ground with a hill.

“Western Diego was also very good at Naas, and although he’s quite keen he’s by Westerner and is probably a stronger stayer.”

Fun Fun Fun impressed at the Dublin Racing Festival
Fun Fun Fun impressed at the Dublin Racing Festival (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

Fun Fun Fun carries the same ‘double green’ colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede as It’s For Me, but she would be a special winner for Mullins as he bred the Martaline mare himself – although he cannot ride her at Prestbury Park.

He said: “Fun Fun Fun was hugely impressive at Leopardstown earlier this month in a strongly-run Grade Two, but as she’s a mare I can’t do the weight.

“I bred her myself out of a mare I bought in foal because she was a sister to Yorkhill and she’s entitled to improve. She hadn’t run for more than three months and so I was afraid she mightn’t be fit enough that day.

“She’s got two younger siblings coming through by Doctor Dino, and a third by Jukebox Jury, so if I can’t win it I’m hoping it’s her coming past me on my outside!”

With so many chances, Mullins is expecting a hard call on which horse he will ride come the big day.

He added: “This year nothing has put its hand up to say ‘I’m the special one’, but these horses don’t run very often and they improve at different rates, and so it’s hard to get a handle on them.

“There are lots of options, and I’m probably guaranteed to pick the wrong one. I remember (2013 winner) Briar Hill was very average at home and I wanted him to stay at home for Limerick the week after, but Willie’s view is that if they have a chance they go, and every year we have a 20-1 winner.

“It’s very hard to pick the right one, but as Ruby and I both have three previous winners it would be nice to have another one.”

Patrick Mullins on Cousin Vinny at Cheltenham
Patrick Mullins on Cousin Vinny at Cheltenham (Barry Batchelor/PA)

On the family history with the race, Mullins has memories stretching back as far as his father’s first success as trainer/rider of Wither Or Which 27 years ago.

He said: “I grew up with photos on the wall of Wither Or Which winning in 1996, of ‘Woody’ (Richard Dunwoody) winning on Florida Pearl in 1997, and of Ruby winning on Alexander Banquet in 1998. Also of Joe Cullen, who Charlie Swan rode in 2000, who was owned and bred by my mother and who only went on the lorry because Adamant Approach was lame the day before.

“It’s obviously been a very lucky race for us, and winning on Cousin Vinny in 2008 was the dream, because I hadn’t been riding very long and I’d gone there expecting to ride Drive On Regardless, who finished out the back.

“It was the year that the Wednesday was called off and the bumper was run as the 10th race on Thursday, in near darkness. You never forget a day like that. It was my first Grade One and very special.”

It’s For Me states Cheltenham claims with Navan romp

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It’s For Me shot to the head of the betting for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham with an impressive victory at Navan on Saturday.

Making his debut for trainer Willie Mullins, It’s For Me was sent off the 4-9 favourite for the Racing Again February 12th (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race after winning his only point-to-point start last year.

Ridden by the handler’s son Patrick, the five-year-old travelled supremely well throughout and was cantering in behind before taking control around two furlongs out.

Mullins only had to push him out to come home 10 lengths clear of Suttons Hill and Paddy Power installed him as the 5-1 favourite for the Cheltenham bumper, before further cutting him to 4s.

Patrick Mullins said: “He’s much better on the track than he is at home, at home he doesn’t flash.

“Looking at the price he went off in his point-to-point, it was obviously a similar story there. He’s much better on grass.

“That was very impressive. He was a bit keen all the way but he quickened up very well.

“That was as good as anything that has been seen this year.

“When you don’t have one of Gordon Elliott’s in there to maybe have a measure, it’s a bit easier.

“The bumper horses seem to be hitting top gear now, they were a bit hit and miss before Christmas.”

When asked if the Champion Bumper was tomorrow, would he ride him, Mullins added: “I don’t know what I’m going to ride there.”

Shanbally Kid initiated a Mullins double
Shanbally Kid initiated a Mullins double (Gary Carson/PA)

The Closutton team had earlier been on the mark with Shanbally Kid (11-10 favourite) in the Buy Your Navan 2023 Membership Maiden Hurdle.

He let down his supporters when only fourth on his hurdles bow but made amends with a length-and-three-quarter verdict over Monty’s Star in the hands of Paul Townend.

“It took me a while to get him jumping to be honest,” said the winning rider.

“I was probably there a bit soon on him as he didn’t do a whole lot when he hit the front, but I was always holding them behind me.

“He’s still quite a raw individual. I kind of settled the race really quickly and then he was just doing enough. I’d say there is a bit more in the tank.

“The further he went, the better he jumped, he’ll be fine and should progress again. You’d be going out in trip with him rather than back, I’d think.”

Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue were also in double form via Path D’Oroux and Pure Sirloin.

Path D’Oroux (3-1) ran out a cosy winner of the Welcome Back To Navan Racecourse Rated Novice Hurdle, in which three of the key players failed to finish.

“I know there were fallers but he won the race in a nice manner,” said Cromwell.

“He travels lovely every day, even in the Royal Bond he travelled very well but he cut out in a matter of 50 yards.

“He ran a lot better in Leopardstown the last day and hopefully he’s on the way back.

“The ground is no bother to him as he’s a big strong horse and he has plenty of gears too.

“I suppose the owners would like to go to Cheltenham for something, so we might look at one of the handicaps.”

Pure Sirloin completed the Cromwell-Donoghue double
Pure Sirloin completed the Cromwell-Donoghue double (Gary Carson/PA)

Pure Sirloin (7-1) has less lofty targets after his win in the Ardmulchan Handicap Hurdle.

Cromwell added: “He would want to learn to jump better but he was good over the last two which got him out of jail.”

“He made plenty of mistakes and Keith gave him a smashing ride to land him there. He’s a work in progress and we’ll look for something similar again.”

Mahler Mission (100-30) was cut from 33-1 to 12s by Betfair for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham after coasting home by 10 lengths in the Wilkinstown Beginners Chase.

Mahler Mission returns to the winner's enclosure
Mahler Mission returns to the winner’s enclosure (Gary Carson/PA)

Winning trainer John McConnell said: “We put him in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham this week and we’ll certainly look at it, you wouldn’t be averse to going after that.

“He’s going to get a big enough mark, so we’re going to be restricted where we can go but in a good way.

“I was bottling it last night, thinking of taking him out, and looking at other alternatives. There is nothing in Ireland though bar a couple of Grade Twos. We could do that or could go straight to Cheltenham.

“All the big handicap chases are on the agenda as well, there are a lot in the UK worth a lot of money. There are loads of options with him, he’s only a young horse.”