Horse Racing

Cheltenham Festival 2022: Wednesday's Champion Bumper tips - American Mike more than a yankee hope

Jonathan Doidgejon doidge15 March 2022
American Mike is on course to clash with Facile Vega

American Mike is on course to clash with Facile Vega

Plenty or people will have American Mike in Cheltenham multiples on Wednesday, March 16 but Planet Sport's panel explain why Gordon Elliott's charge may be yankee doodle dandy.

Have a shufty at the Racing Post's David Carr, former Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Dominic Elsworth and Planet Sport's Jonathan Doidge as they get stuck into the Champion Bumper.

The flat test for leading juveniles known as the Champion Bumper is the last race on day two of the Festival, starting at 17:30, and you can find all you the information you need by clicking our live race centre.

Willie Mullins took the 2021 Champion Bumper with the talented Sir Gerhard and also had the second in Kilcruit. The Closutton handler goes into the 2022 edition with leading chance Facile Vega but also a host of other unknown quantities such as Redemption Day and James's Gate.

Meanwhile, Gordon Elliott has a fancied chance himself in the form of American Mike.

Here is what Planet Sport's expert panel make of this schooling ground for racing babies.

Facile Vega - Jonathan Doidge (Planet Sport tipster)

"Jamie Codd is apparently very confident about American Mike that he rides but the performance of Facile Vega when winning at Leopardstown was just effortless, was waving and laughing at the opposition from a long way out."
"I can't really see that if he's in that sort of form he gets beat, so Facile Vega for me."

American Mike - Dominic Elsworth (Cheltenham Festival winning jockey)

"Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott, that tends to be where the best horses come from in Ireland. American Mike for me, it's such a tough race and it's hard to pick a winner in that race."

American Mike - David Carr (Racing Post)

"Facile Vega is going to be all the rage, he's out of Quevega, a Cheltenham legend, he looked really stylish at Leopardstown last time.

"This isn't a stylish race, I think American Mike could outstay him, Gordon Elliott thinks an awful lot of him and I think American Mike might be the value."

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