While powerhouse stables usually dominate bumpers, smaller yards are leading the Timeform ratings this season in Britain and Ireland. Oh My Word, trained by Thomas Cleary, holds the highest mark of 112p after a dominant win at Navan. Bass Hunter tops the British contingent with 111p from a victory at Ascot.
The bumper division, typically ruled by trainers like Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, is seeing an upset this 2025/26 campaign, with smaller operations earning top Timeform ratings. Oh My Word secured the season's highest figure of 112p with an 11-length triumph in a listed race at Navan, a track that has produced past Champion Bumper winners such as Envoi Allen and Sir Gerhard. Unlike those Elliott-trained horses, Oh My Word hails from Thomas Cleary's yard, marking both of his national hunt successes this year; Cleary managed just one Flat winner, Idomything, in the previous season.
In Britain, Chris Gordon's Bass Hunter leads with 111p, earned from a listed win at Ascot in December. Recent standouts include Adrian Keatley's Diamant Dore, rated 108p after a wide-margin debut victory at Ayr, and Jedd O'Keeffe's Ronnie Russet, who boosted his rating to 106p with a penalty-defying second win at Newcastle. Mullins' best on ratings is The Irish Avatar at 103p, following an easy debut at Navan.
Timeform's James Davies described the season as below-par so far, noting no horse has yet reached Champion Bumper contention levels. "Oh My Word is currently pick of the Irish and Bass Hunter is leading the British, though it’s worth noting Bass Hunter is potentially too one dimensional to excel in a Champion Bumper," Davies said. He praised Diamant Dore's impressive sprint at Ayr but urged caution due to the testing ground, while highlighting Ronnie Russet's steady improvement and promising breeding.
The full top-rated list includes: 112p Oh My Word (Thomas Cleary), 111p Bass Hunter (Chris Gordon), 110p Keep Him Company (Gordon Elliott), 109p Saint Clovis (Thomas Cooper), 108p Diamant Dore (Adrian Keatley), and several at 106p including Boycetown (Gavin Cromwell), Ronnie Russet (Jedd O'Keeffe), and Tally Ho Back (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies). Upcoming Grade 2 races at the Dublin Racing Festival may clarify the picture further.
