Honda Fifty heads down to Carlisle for the bumper

5.45 at Carlisle and the going is heavy.

Just 4 runners for the bumper, so we hope this provides Honda Fifty with a good opportunity to get off the mark, having finished runner up in both his races so far. He was caught on the line in a 14 runner bumper at Newcastle in December.
It's the inner course, tighter not as stamina sapping as the outer that's in use, so in theory this should suit our Arakan gelding.

Ann Hamiliton's The Gap was fairly well supported on debut at Kelso last May but struggled from halfway and could be more of a staying type once sent jumping. Nicky saddles Lanty Sea on debut for owners Langdale Bloodstock and while this was an inexpensive purchase as a yearling, these successful connections are well known to be associated with good horses.

So, on the face of it, our main challenge may come from Dalgleish's Grumpy McGrumpface who is quite experienced having been placed 3 times in bumpers this season already. The best of these runs was a second place, not beaten far, to La Chanteuse at Ayr in November.

Honda Fifty

Newcastle Tuesday round-up

Two runners on the day with mixed results, to be honest.

Bonny Houxty finished 3rd in the novices hurdle over 2m 4f. Her jumping was much better than on her debut run last month, but she was tapped for toe in the home straight and couldn't really land a blow against the easy winner Mayo Star.
Held up in rear, off a slow pace in heavy ground, she made a couple of small jumping errors so there is still room for improvement in that aspect but having said all that, it was another pleasing run by the mare.

Stolen Money made his racecourse debut in the bumper, and after running in snatches the Prince Flori gelding couldn't go the pace of the leaders 4f out. He's a lengthy gelding who is going to need a staying trip over jumps. He gained valuable experience here.