Unraced Undecided unleashed in Newcastle bumper

Season 2020-21 has seen a larger number than usual of unraced youngsters here at Dodlands Steading, eight or nine of whom will be in line to make a racecourse appearance before end of May 2021.

The bumper at Newcastle's card on Thursday has always seemed a nice introduction for such types (December, soft ground, galloping track) and The Buyers Club's Sageburg gelding Undecided gets first sight of a competitive race here.

12 runners and of those with previous experience, John Quinn's Well Educated ran well when not beaten far in 4th at Market Rasen a month ago. He started 2nd favourite that day so is clearly well though of, at a stable that is no stranger to housing a useful bumper horse or two. The one to beat.
Kirby sends out the half brother to top class racemare Lady Buttons (bumper winner) - imaginatively named Lord Buttons - for a second outing also having run just under a month ago. Not quite up to the form of Well Educated but this son of Presenting looks a fine future prospect.

Of course there are several newcomers with eye-catching pedigrees and price tags to match.
Rose's Fame and Glory gelding Famous Moment was a €125,000 acquisition at the Irish Derby Sale of 2018. A half brother to the top class chaser Riders onthe Storm (fair bumper form without winning), the unraced dam is a half sister to multiple winning, very useful hurdler Emotional Moment. A very promising horse in the making but just may not be sharp enough to win a bumper first time up.
Ruth Jefferson's Jampot Eddie is another who is making a belated racecourse debut after being bought at the Doncaster Spring Sales of 2017 for £30k. A Sulamani half brother to modest winning hurdler/chase Guanciale but he showed fairly useful form to win a bumper first time out. Not one to dismiss quickly.

Southern based trainer Tom Lacey frequently sends his young hurdling/bumper horses up to Northern tracks and the €85,000 spent (Irish Derby 2019) on the Martaline gelding Marty Time could well look shrewd if he were to win a bumper impressively. He's a half brother to several winners in France, including useful hurdle / chase winners My Name Is Nick and Kingalola. The dam won a couple of times over middle distances in France.
But Marty Time is not the only Southern raider as Olly Murphy runs his July 2020 Doncaster Sales purchase Thunder Rock, who cost £42,000 after being runner up in an Irish Point. He was beaten a fair way that day but the family is full of horses who have performed well in bumpers, some useful including listed bumper winner Lord Generous.

So, in summary, of the main opposition may come from Well Educated and Marty Time.

Undecided's dam won a bumper and he's a half brother to a couple with fair form Under Rules. We like this lad a lot but we wouldn't have him fully wound up for his initial outing although we'd like to see him do himself justice in what looks like a fairly tight contest.
Craig Nichol takes the ride for Mark Young and his Buyers Club cohorts. Best of luck to all!