Cheltenham Racecourse announces today that the 2026 running of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper will be run in honour of the late Sir Johnny Weatherby, who sadly passed away aged 66 on December 18th last year.
Staged on Ladies Day at The Festival (Wednesday 11th March) the Grade One race will be contested as the Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby).
A figure of immense stature within our sport, Sir Johnny Weatherby was the long-serving and transformative Chairman of Weatherbys, racing’s administrators for over 250 years and sponsor of the Champion Bumper since 1997. Between 2011 and 2020 he acted as Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot, and on a personal level was an enthusiastic breeder, owner and amateur rider.
His brother Roger Weatherby said: “The Weatherby family are deeply touched that Cheltenham Racecourse and The Jockey Club have agreed to name this year’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper in honour of Johnny.
“The Champion Bumper was especially close to Johnny’s heart, as he played an integral role in Weatherbys sponsoring the race for the first time in 1997, a year memorably won by the brilliant Florida Pearl.
“Johnny also had a strong and enduring association with Cheltenham Racecourse more generally. He bred the dual Festival winner Presenting Percy, owned Top Wood who was twice placed in the Cheltenham Festival Hunters’ Chase, and, as an amateur rider, finished eighth in the race himself.
“To have his name associated with the Champion Bumper is a fitting tribute to Johnny, and we are all very much looking forward to the occasion.”
Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, added: “All of us at Cheltenham Racecourse were deeply saddened to hear of Sir Johnny Weatherby’s passing at the end of last year.
“He was hugely knowledgeable about all aspects of the sport, and it was truly a delight to work alongside him with Weatherbys’ sponsorship of the Champion Bumper over almost three decades.
“We are therefore proud to run this year’s renewal of the Weatherbys Championship in memory of Sir Johnny, and our thanks go to the Weatherby family in helping to bring this about.”
Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby) (Grade 1) 2m 87y
BACKGROUND
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby) is the only Grade One National Hunt Flat Race run in Great Britain and is the only race at the Cheltenham Festival during which no obstacles are jumped. The contest was introduced at The Festival in 1992. Weatherbys, racing’s administrators, have backed the extended two-mile contest since 1997.
In 2026, it is run in memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby, the former Chairman of sponsor Weatherbys, who sadly passed away in December 2025.
FIELD SIZE
A total of 25 horses ran in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2003, while the smallest line-up was 14 runners in 2019 and 2021. The maximum field size currently is 22.
MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAINER
Willie Mullins has saddled a record 14 winners - he also rode his first winner of the race, the 1996 scorer Wither Or Which.
His 14 winners to date have been Wither or Which (1996), Florida Pearl (1997), Alexander Banquet (1998), Joe Cullen (2000), Missed That (2005), Cousin Vinny (2008), Champagne Fever (2012), Briar Hill (2013), Relegate (2018), Ferny Hollow (2020), Sir Gerhard (2021), Facile Vega (2022), Jasmin De Vaux (2024) and Bambino Fever (2025).
MOST SUCCESSFUL JOCKEY
Amateur Patrick Mullins is the most successful jockey with four winners - Cousin Vinny (2008), Champagne Fever (2012), Facile Vega (2022) and Jasmin De Vaux (2024).
AGE
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper is restricted to horses aged four to six. Five-year-olds boast the best record with 22 wins. Six-year-olds have struck on eight occasions, while Rhythm Section (1993), Dato Star (1995) and Cue Card (2010) are the only four-year-olds to be successful.
BETTING
With often little form to go on, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper has been a poor race for favourite backers, with only six winning in 33 renewals (just over 18 per cent). Facile Vega (2022) is the shortest-priced winner at 15-8 while Monsignor was the longest-priced winner, scoring at 50-1 in 1999.
OVERSEAS-TRAINED WINNERS
Irish-trained horses have enjoyed a superb record in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, accounting for 26 of the 33 winners.
DID YOU KNOW?
The first winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper was Montelado, who achieved what is thought to be the unique feat of winning two consecutive Festival races. The Bumper, now run on Wednesday, was originally the last race of The Festival. Montelado went on to win the opening race of The Festival in 1993, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Leading Flat jockey Jamie Spencer took out a Jump licence in 2002 just to participate in this race and won by a neck on Pizarro, trained by Edward O’Grady, surviving a stewards’ enquiry for possible interference.
The 2022 winner Facile Vega is the second foal out of Quevega, the only six-time Festival winner. Quevega won the Mares’ Hurdle every year between 2009 and 2014.
