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Can the Champion Bumper ruin a good horse? Investigating O'Leary's claim

Envoi Allen: Gordon Elliott's crack youngster may run at the Dublin Racing Festival
Envoi Allen, Champion Bumper winner and unbeaten novice hurdlerCredit: Patrick McCann

Eddie O'Leary was vocal on one of his favourite topics last week, his dislike of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Around this time eight years ago O'Leary ruled the highly promising Don Cossack out of the Grade 1 event. "It's just a race we don't particularly like as we think it can ruin a young horse," he said.

Last week, when suggesting the team was prepared to let last month's Grade 2 Leopardstown winner Darling Daughter take her chance, he struck to almost the precisely same note. "It's well known I don't like the race. My biggest thing is that it ruins young horses."

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