Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock are no different to most trainers at the start of the spring.
Aim high and re-evaluate along the way and that is what Griffiths and de Kock are doing with Daily Bugle who resumes in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Daily Bugle is nominated for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in October, but Griffiths said there was a lot of water to go under the bridge before that race.
First of all, Daily Bugle has to show that he is up to that company after the stable did not learn enough about the now three-year-old during a Sydney autumn campaign.
Daily Bugle failed on soft ground in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce at Randwick in April and then may have been over the top by the time he ran in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) two weeks later.
Griffiths said Daily Bugle had always been regarded as a potential Guineas type for the stable being from a family that can run a trip.
While Daily Bugle may not have grown from his two-year-old days, Griffiths said he had noticed the son of Press Statement being much stronger in his work.
“He’s trialled really well the last two Mondays,” Griffiths said.
“Naturally with any horse returning you’ve got plenty of room to improve because it’s early, being August and you have aces up your sleeve for later on.
“He’s working stronger and that has been on ordinary ground and I think he’s a horse that will be better on top of the ground.
“This time around we’ll know more about him and his form in the lead-up will tell us whether he’s a shorter distance horse and whether he’s an ‘A’ grade a ‘B’ grade or a ‘C’ grader.
“Time will tell.”
In form jockey Damian Lane will ride Daily Bugle for the first time on Saturday.
