2017 Bumper

[Istabraq]

How's your beast BOF ?
Doesn't like a journey though does he ?
Punchy ?

[Bayoffreedom]

How's your beast BOF ?
Doesn't like a journey though does he ?
Punchy ?

He didn't even like going to Naas! Unfortunately, his sacrum locked up last week. The initial trauma could have happened any time over the last few months and probably accounts for his performance at Naas. He's taking it easy for a little while and we'll see how he goes.

[Istabraq]

OK cheers BOF.
Sounds like he'll have a long Summer picking grass, come back better next year...

[Kevloaf]

A quick google search for Western Ryder's fan club brings you to this thread! A similar search for Carter McKay just leads to a picture of me alone on an island!

Hahaha

I did see Patrick quoted as playing the form down a little for Carter Mckay.... price seems a little false to me because of timing more than anything (won same day Mullins lost the perceived 1st string) but CM was mentioned positvely earlier on in this thread and I believe people have some very nice prices... Maybe it was billy? I will go back and check and edit soon

[Kevloaf]

Kevin Blake (good name) ....

Published 20th February

Even before he became the all-conquering power that he has been in the last decade, Willie Mullins was considered the go-to man when it came to bumpers. Ever since he trained and rode Wither Or Which to success in the Champion Bumper in 1996, he has added seven more victories to his tally, never going longer than four years without success in Cheltenham's only flat race.

That said, with the emphasis in the Mullins camp undergoing changes that see him concentrating on proven horses off the Flat and from France that are not eligible for bumpers, his number of runners and winners in that sphere have dropped somewhat. Indeed, if he fails to win the Champion Bumper this year, it will be the longest he has gone without a win in the race since his first success in it 21 years ago.

While the market has honed in on Carter McKay as the apparent Mullins first choice for the race in the aftermath of the injury to Getabird, he is anything but a solid proposition having won two slowly-run, small-field contests that will bear little resemblance to the test he will face in the Champion Bumper.

It may pay to look outside of the Mullins representatives in search of better value alternatives and the one that makes the most appeal at this stage is the Warren Greatrex-trained WESTERN RYDER.

The son of Westerner is from a fine National Hunt family and was bought by his current connections for €40,000 as a three-year-old. Clearly held in high regard from the outset, he was sent off favourite for his debut in a bumper at Ffos Las in May and showcased a fine turn of foot on his way to winning in great style.

Western Ryder promises to be very much suited by the test the Champion Bumper presents. The left-handed track and stiff finish promise to play to his strengths and the experience he has acquired in his four runs will make him better equipped than most for what can be a rough race.

He made his return from a summer break in a bumper at Market Rasen in November and while he was beaten by a short-head, it was an easy defeat to excuse. In contrast with the waiting ride he had received at Ffos Las, Western Ryder raced quite freely off the steady early pace and ended up in front with over five furlongs to race.

However, the main contributor to his defeat was that he looked uncomfortable going right-handed, with him hanging badly left in the straight and doing well to get to within a short-head of Infinite Sun in the circumstances.

His next run came in a Listed bumper at another right-handed track at Ascot, but a return to more patient riding tactics made a significant difference to his performance. Well covered up towards the rear with a view to getting him settled, he looked to have a big task on his hands when still in rear with a wall of horses in front of him on the turn for home, but as soon as the gaps opened he quickened into them bravely prior to seeing off the determined challenge of Imperial Eloquence by two lengths.

His most recent run came in a Listed bumper at Newbury in February and while he was beaten, again it was an easy defeat to forgive. The early pace was steady which resulted in him racing quite freely under restraint. He travelled into the race stylishly, but while he did his best in the resulting sprint for home in the straight, he couldn't match the turn of foot showed by the highly-regarded four-year-old filly Daphne Du Clos to whom he was conceding no less than 21lb.

Western Ryder promises to be very much suited by the test the Champion Bumper presents. The left-handed track and stiff finish promise to play to his strengths and the experience he has acquired in his four runs will make him better equipped than most for what can be a rough race.

While the market is likely to focus on the sexier, unbeaten types, Western Ryder has very solid credentials and is overpriced at 14/1.

[Can't Catch Me]

More positive news for Western Ryder fans.

Nicky really talking up Daphne du Clos in his stable tour and how forward she is, so much so, he sounds very tempted to run her in the Bumper at the Festival. Puts into context giving her 21lb's and a proper race.

How much will WR be giving her at Cheltenham... is it ten pounds?

[Kevloaf]

Yeh a nice angle. Although if she does run, she'd be a bit of a danger as she could improve for the run too?

[Can't Catch Me]

Sorry article might help!

We might even hit the bumper this year which would be very, very strange for me. She's forward and mature for a four-year-old filly. The history books tell you that isn't possible but that looks open this year. I know poor Willie (Mullins) has lost his best one and she looked very good the other day and she gets all the allowances - I think she's got 10-4. I love bumpers but that as a race for young horses, if they're not up to it they get such a brutally hard race and our bumper horses aren't trained like that. They have a run and then they have a second run and they get put away for novice hurdles. Some guys probably have four of five trips to the racecourses and they're well prepared for it. You come down that hill flat to the boards with young horses and they will get hard races. They've got to be very good and I think she's different [to our usual bumper horses]. We were second in it with Trabolgan and he turned out to be a very good staying chaser.

[Can't Catch Me]

Yeah I guess she almost certainly would Kev. But if it's 10lb instead of 21lb she will have to improve a fair amount. It's still early days for WR too, so no doubt he is still improving.

Agree with you though. You'd have to be tempted. Especially as her breeding suggests she might be even better on good ground.

[Faugheen_Machine]

Think she'd get 14lb from WR at Cheltenham, instead of the 21lb at Newbury.

[Brital]

For the sake of the forum plunge I hope she doesn't run. I thought she won with a little more in hand than the distance suggested.

[Faugheen_Machine]

She'd be some horse to win this at 4 yr old.

[Can't Catch Me]

Thanks FM. 7lb swing not as big as I thought. Wouldn't be totally confident of him turning the tables tbh. Think you might be right Brital!!

[Faugheen_Machine]

The champion bumper is usually a rough race - she'd have to be hard as nails, or something really special to win it.

[jono]

Surprising for Nicky that he may run her, though you'd say it's more likely she skips it based on that interview plus there's a very good race for mares now at Aintree.

I'd certainly prefer if she did skip this as like Brital and CCM have said i'm not certain the 7lb's would turn things around, for all i'm heavily backing Western Ryder