Options open for Very Much So Connections of Land Rover Bumper winner Very Much So are weighing up whether to continue down the bumper route or pursue a career over hurdles this season. The Willie Mullins-trained four-year-old showed a good attitude in the hands of Johnny Burke to land what is traditionally a well contested event at the Punchestown Festival, and a number of beaten rivals have gone on to subsequent success. As a half-brother to Grade One-winning chaser Jessies Dream, Very Much So is likely to appreciate a step up in distance in time, but plans for this term remain up in the air. Steve Massey, racing manager for owners the Supreme Horse Racing Club, said: "He ran well in a schooling bumper last week at Thurles. He is a lazy horse on the gallops and definitely keeps his best work for the track, which we don't mind at all. "He is taking a bit longer to get ready than Willie thought and he is still turning over in his head whether to go down the bumper route or go hurdling. "If Willie chooses the hurdle route he will run very soon, if it's the bumper option we will wait a bit longer. We'll just have to wait and see." Another horse who has done the ownership syndicate proud this year is talented mare Daring Carlotta. After winning her first three starts at Clonmel, Killarney and Listowel, the five-year-old was a hot favourite for a Listed bumper at Cheltenham last month, but came up narrowly short in third. She is likely to go jumping in the new year. Massey went on: "She never really got into the race at Cheltenham, but it's almost a dream come true to even have a runner there, so having a placed horse and experiencing the winner's enclosure is a good result in anyone's book. "At a guess it will be end of January before she runs again and her next race will be over hurdles."
