17:30 Cheltenham

Wednesday 15 March 2023

All13:3014:1014:5015:3016:1016:5017:30

Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) (GBB Race)

Off time: 17:31 | Winning time: 3m 59.83s

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Selected odds by:

A Dream To Share³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr J L Gleeson| T: J E Kiely| OR: 135| D

7/2

Has looked a top prospect in winning all 3 of his starts in bumpers, including what is usually an informative Leopardstown Grade 2 last month, quickening clear from Fact To File. Bought by J P. McManus in the meantime and sets a very good standard.

Form: 111

Beachcomber⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: J & A O'Neill| OR: 112| D

150/1

Better for debut (when well backed) and ran out an easy winner of Chepstow bumper 6 weeks ago, drawing clear final furlong. Plenty more needed to get competitive in this.

Form: 41

Better Days Ahead¹⁰¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr J J Codd| T: G Elliott| OR: 123| D

10/1

Point winner who cost a tidy £350,000 at these sales last year and all the better for debut in messy race at Down Royal as he saw off the well-touted Chapeau de Soleil at Fairyhouse in December, eased late on under this rider. Will go on improving and looks the pick of the Elliott runners.

Form: 1-21

Captain Cody⁴³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Miss J Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 121| D

50/1

Showed plenty on completed start in point and Punchestown bumper prior to easy success in Limerick contest 6 weeks ago. 1 of 10 runners for Willie Mullins and down the pecking order.

Form: F-421

Captain Teague⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 116| D

40/1

€70,000 point winner from good family and looked a good prospect when landing the odds in Plumpton bumper in December, having enough left to resist the runner-up having already taken care of the front runner in a well-run affair. Well worth a crack at this on that showing and wouldn't dismiss.

Form: 1-1

Chapeau De Soleil¹⁰¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: B Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 115| BF

40/1

Won a point in May and went into his Fairyhouse bumper debut in December as ante-post favourite for this race, unable to land the odds on that day as he looked green, no match for the eased-down Better Days Ahead. More to come but some effort if he were to win this.

Form: 12

Chosen Witness³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: S F O'Keeffe| T: W P Mullins| OR: 120

66/1

Dead-heated in point and landed the odds easily on bumper debut at Limerick over Christmas, making all. Behind a few of these in the Leopardstown bumper won by A Dream To Share since though and one of the Mullins' outsiders after that.

Form: 1-15

Encanto Bruno¹⁴⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: S Bowen| T: J C McConnell| OR: 123| CD

14/1

£210,000 buy after point debut success a year ago and it's looking money well spent after he followed up last summer's Cork victory with an impressive win in C&D bumper in October, showing a good turn of foot. That form is strong and he shouldn't be underestimated.

Form: 1-11

Fact To File³⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 129| BF

16/5

Easy winner in a point and successful start under Rules in a 20f Leopardstown bumper over Christmas. Found only A Dream To Share too good in Grade 2 back there last month, lacking his pace late on. This stiffer finish will suit him better and he's another solid contender for Willie Mullins.

Form: 1-12

Fascile Mode³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Mr C Mullins| T: T Mullins| OR: 121| D

40/1

Overcame greenness as he saw off the Willie Mullins-trained pair Lecky Weston and Special Cadeau on debut at Leopardstown in December and not disgraced upped in grade behind A Dream To Share and Fact To File in last month's Grade 2 back there. Looking vulnerable here, though.

Form: 14

Favour And Fortune³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King| OR: 122| D

28/1

Lots to like with how he's easily won Southwell and Warwick bumpers this term, drawing clear from 3 previous winners for latest victory 32 days ago. This is a whole different test against the Irish challengers, though.

Form: 11

It's For Me⁵³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: P Townend| T: W P Mullins| OR: 125| D

6/1

Emphatic point winner and very well backed as he came clear for a 10-length victory in Navan bumper 7 weeks ago. Another top contender in Willie Mullins' ten (same connections as Fun Fun Fun).

Form: 1-1

Lecky Watson⁷⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: J B Foley| T: W P Mullins| OR: 117

80/1

Looked unlucky not to make a successful start at Fairyhouse last spring and felt the wrath of the stewards' himself 7 months on at Punchestown (first past post but demoted). Another good effort behind Fascile Mode at Leopardstown over Christmas but surprising if he opens his account in this.

Form: 2-D2

Loughglynn⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: M J M O'Sullivan| T: W P Mullins| OR: 116| D

33/1

Promising start in good Fairyhouse bumper and much improved when landing Naas contest 8 months on, responding well to see off a subsequent winner. Plenty more needed to land a blow in this.

Form: 6-1

No Time To Wait⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: D N Russell| T: G Elliott| OR: 124

33/1

Faller in 2 points but has done better in bumpers, easily making all on second go at Down Royal 7 weeks ago. Way more needed to get involved here.

Form: FF-31

Western Diego^h⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachael Blackmore| T: W P Mullins| OR: 122

18/1

£125,000 point winner who made all impressively in 19f Naas bumper in January, quickening clear with a bit in hand. More to come and another big player in the Willie Mullins team.

Form: 1-1

Westport Cove⁶⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: D E Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 119| D

33/1

Strong in the betting and overcame inexperience to make a winning start at Fairyhouse 2 months ago, drawing clear. Another in the frame for the Willie Mullins stable.

Form: 1

Fun Fun Fun³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: D A Jacob| T: W P Mullins| OR: 125| D

5/1

Highly promising sort who has won Sligo contest and (for new owners) Leopardstown Grade 2 mares' event in sensational fashion, value for even more than the 9½ length-winning margin last month. Relegate won the same race for the yard before taking this in 2018 and her claims are obvious.

Form: 11

Queens Gamble³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: O Sherwood| OR: 120| BF| CD

20/1

Looked a class act as she won her first 2 starts in mares' bumpers here, ridden more handily and well on top for listed C&D success in November. Ran well in defeat conceding 4 lb to one better suited by the test of speed at Market Rasen 5 weeks ago and definitely worth remaining positive about.

Form: 1-12

D Art D Art⁴⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: D Meyler| T: T Cooper| OR: 120| D

80/1

Overcame inexperience to make a winning debut in Gowran event under Patrick Mullins 7 weeks ago, taking a while to hit top gear. A stiffer test here sure to suit him but he has lots to find.

Form: 1

Fiercely Proud⁷³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-11| J: Luca Morgan| T: B Pauling| OR: 117| C

100/1

Justified market confidence when winning Market Rasen bumper on debut in October (subsequently sold from Don Cantillon £125,000) and still looked rough around the edges when landing listed contest here on New Year's Day. That form still way short of what will be required to get involved in this.

Form: 11

Non-Runners

King Of Kingsfield⁷⁶

Weight: 11-7| Age: 5

T: G Elliott J: J C Gainford

Samui³²

Weight: 10-11| Age: 4

T: G Elliott J: Sam Ewing

Shinji³²

Weight: 10-11| Age: 4

T: M Keighley J: Aidan Coleman

Forecasts

Fact To File (16/5), A Dream To Share (7/2), Fun Fun Fun (5/1), It's For Me (6/1), Better Days Ahead (10/1), Encanto Bruno (14/1), Western Diego (18/1), Queens Gamble (20/1), Favour And Fortune (28/1), No Time To Wait (33/1), Loughglynn (33/1), Westport Cove (33/1), Samui (33/1), King Of Kingsfield (33/1), Captain Teague (40/1), Chapeau De Soleil (40/1), Fascile Mode (40/1), Captain Cody (50/1), Chosen Witness (66/1), Lecky Watson (80/1), D Art D Art (80/1), Fiercely Proud (100/1), Shinji (100/1), Beachcomber (150/1)

Willie Mullins fields 10 as he bids for a remarkable thirteenth win and the mare FUN FUN FUN could be the way to go. She was a sensational winner of a Grade 2 mares' event at Leopardstown last month and can follow in the footsteps of Relegate who did the same double for the yard in 2018. A Dream To Share has passed every test so far for John Kiely and sets a very good standard. Encanto Bruno and Better Days Ahead are other interesting runners away from the Mullins' battalion.