Cheltenham Festival 2026: Day 2: Wednesday - 5:20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper Preview
Simon Winter
The last race of seven on Day 2 of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday, 11th March, is the 5:20 Weatherbys Champion Bumper, a renewal that has been dominated by Irish trainer Willie Mullins.
Horses from Closutton have claimed the spoils 14 times in this race since 1992, including five of the Champion Bumper’s last six editions, with Bambino Fever the latest of Mullins’ charges to add their name to the roll of honour in 2025.
Mullins will be aiming to tighten his grip on the race this year, though other notable entries have the potential to upset the established order.
In this 2026 Weatherbys Champion Bumper preview, we’ll profile some of the horses to watch. As with all of the other late races at the Cheltenham Festival this week, you can’t watch this one on TV, however, you can log in to LiveScoreBet and Virgin Bet to stream the action for free.
Weatherbys Champion Bumper Preview
Feature | Grade 1 at 5:20 PM with prize of £55,000 for the winner |
Race Type | Flat race for 4, 5 & 6-year-olds |
Distance | 2m 1/2f |
Obstacles | N/A |
With Mullins the driving force, the Champion Bumper has been green tinted over the years, with Irish dominance the norm. Incredibly, Irish-trained entries have won 26 of the race’s 33 iterations, while only four British-trained horses have placed (all third) since 2015.
Even though runners aren’t allowed to have run 4+ times before entering this one, a bit of experience has come in handy for previous winners. In the last 18 renewals, only four winners competed just once beforehand.
Form has fed into this one too, with each of the Champion Bumper’s last 22 winners delivering victories on their previous start before heading to Cheltenham.
We’re going to highlight some contenders for the 2026 Champion Bumper below, but remember to browse LiveScoreBet’s Cheltenham betting offers before placing your wagers.
2026 Weatherbys Champion Bumper Tips
The favourite: Love Sign d’Aunou
The pick of Willie Mullins’s contingent for many, Love Sign d’Anou is likely to run off the shortest price on Wednesday, after building buzz in an impressive debut victory in the Aloga Equestrian at Naas in January.
Love Sign d’Anou made all and went well clear from 2f out to win at a canter at Naas and could even improve further. Indeed, Mullins will have high hopes for the 5-year-old here, who will don the Ricci silks again. However, some of his stablemates look just as dangerous.
One to watch: Quiryn
Quiryn turned plenty of heads when winning on his bow at Naas on January 9th ahead of some decent company. He quickened nicely towards the end of that occasion and seemed to have more in reserve, and that extra oomph could be tickled out by stiffer competition.
The trends say that 4-year-olds don’t tend to do well in this race, however, Quiryn already looks mature and depending on how the jockeys are assigned by Mullins on the day, he could be available to back at an overlooked price.
Long shot: The Wager
If you’re looking for something with more bite, the aptly named The Wager, another from Mullins’s yard, could fit the bill. In a race where bigger prices have routinely placed, The Wager (approx. 25/1) looks like a good fit.
Second on debut at Punchestown in February 2025, he linked up with Mullins shortly after and won at Fairyhouse on his next appearance, which was in January this year. That win was achieved against good opposition, including Gordon Elliott’s Detroit Maverick. A repeat performance here could put The Wager firmly in the mix.
Our pick – The Irish Avatar
Another debut winner for Mullins at Navan on February 8th, The Irish Avatar is lurking with menace near the top of the betting following his cracking start to top-class racing.
He was favourite to triumph at Navan, but still delivered for connections while under that pressure. He won with comfort and showed plenty of power to see off seven rivals last month, and looked like he had even more to give. It makes sense to see who’ll be in the saddle, but The Irish Avatar can compete.
Next, read our preview of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
