Bumper races and the Nicky Henderson factor

Betting Strategy / Wayne Bailey / 02 October 2007 / Leave a Comment

Wayne Bailey tells us why bumper races aren't necessarily a voyage into the unknown and why N. J. Henderson horses are worth keeping an eye on

On a recent trip to the United States, a friend asked me out to 'brunch'. I enjoy eating breakfast and I enjoy eating lunch, but never saw the point of brunch. The reason it bugs me is because it's neither one thing nor the other. I didn't want to be rude however, and duly accepted the invitation. I was pleasantly surprised to see bacon and eggs arrive on the plate, and my brunch wasn't such a bad experience after all!

Bumpers, or to give them their correct title 'National Hunt Flat Races' are a bit like brunch. They're neither one thing nor the other, and punters shy away from them for fear of the unknown. Bumpers involve national hunt horses running under national hunt rules, yet there are no obstacles to jump so the race is run on a flat surface. Many horses are unexposed with little or no form to go on, so it's little surprise that Joe Punter shies away. Trying something new however, can be a pleasant experience and bumpers can present plenty of betting opportunities which can prove lucrative. The trick is to spot the horses that have been prepared well by the training yard and carefully aimed at the race. Certain yards have a habit of doing this.

Bumpers are restricted to horses that have never been involved in any official flat or national hunt race other than a bumper. Basically, they aim to give horses destined for the national hunt scene some racing experience before letting them jump over obstacles. The nickname 'bumper' originates from a time when only amateur jockeys were allowed to ride in them, and apparently, the lack of experienced jockeys meant that the horses often bumped into each other through the race. The restriction on amateurs has ceased in the UK, but the rule still applies in Ireland. Bumpers are run at level weights (with exceptions for weight for age, sex allowance, and sometimes penalties for a previous win).

There are a number of approaches that may be employed in order to find winners, but keeping an eye on which trainers do well in bumpers is a relatively straightforward exercise that can pay dividends. Certain trainers have high strike rates in bumpers and consistently pick the right horses to send.

One such trainer is Nicky Henderson.

The Lambourne handler (known as N.J. Henderson on the racecard) always prepares his horses very well and has become somewhat of an expert in bumpers over the past few years. Henderson utilises his many years of racing experience and places the right horses in the right races. He particularly excels when the field size is no more than 15 runners.

Since 2004, simply backing every Henderson trained horse in a bumper with 15 runners or less would have produced 35 winners from 85 bets (a strike rate of 39.8%). The profit to SP was £5167 to £100 stakes.

Last year, I put my money where my mouth was and actually went 'live' with the strategy, and the results were fantastic. The official profit to SP was over £1,700 to £100 stakes, however my actual return was nearer £2,400 due to some excellent exchange prices. Every trainer can have difficult spells, but I'm hoping that the trend continues and we're in for more of the same in the upcoming national hunt season.

Backers may shy away from bumpers, but with some research, there are profitable angles to be found and there is no reason you shouldn't have a bet. So make yourself some brunch, tune into the racing... and get stuck in to both!