For trainers with a promising young horse, the allure of a significant spring race is often a primary consideration.
This is certainly the case for Cranbourne-based trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
With Golden Slipper winner Guest House already being aimed at major targets, they are hoping Buggsy can follow a similar path to spring glory.
However, their immediate focus is on Buggsy’s return in the Chef’s Hat Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
Buggsy recorded a debut win over the same course and distance in March and followed this with a third-place finish in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on April 11.
Kent Jnr commented that Buggsy had ‘come of age’ this campaign.
“He won track and distance on debut, albeit very greenly, and he had probably come to the end of his prep when he ran third in a Listed race,” Kent Jnr said.
“Whilst he only got beaten a length and ran third, I thought there was a bit more there and that he had come to the end of it by then, so we gave him a nice break, and have set him for the spring.
“He’s trialled up well and I think there’s improvement to come. His trackrider thinks the run will bring him on and it’s hard to disagree with him.
“He’s a strong colt but I think he’s forward enough for 1000 metres.”
While Kent Jnr indicated that Buggsy is forward enough for the 1000m on Saturday, he also noted the difficulties in preparing the colt on rain-affected tracks.
“It’s the same every spring,” Kent Jnr stated.
“We’re ducking and diving, avoiding Polytrack trials and waiting for the grass, but we’ve had a pretty good run with him.
“He’s had two good grass trials, he went well in the second one when he went head and head with a Group 1 filly from New Zealand (Lara Antipova) and they cleared out from third.
“He’s a sprinting colt. We don’t think we’ll get him out to a mile this preparation.
“That’s our feel at the moment and the obvious races beckon if he goes well on Saturday.”
Craig Williams, who rode Buggsy to his debut victory, is set to partner the colt again on Saturday.
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