Talented two-year-old Bugatty is set to make his return to racing in The Grand Hotel Frankston Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Wednesday.
Bugatty has not been seen at the races since he finished eight in the 2014 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.
Bugatty made his racing debut with a second place finish behind Chivalry in the Quest Moonee Valley Plate (1000m) on December 28 and he scored his first race win in the Better Beyond Plate (1000m) at Flemington on January 11 before finishing second in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 1.
Team Hawkes made the unorthodox decision to run Bugatty in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15 and he was sent straight to the spelling paddock after finishing eighth.
Michael Hawkes said that Bugatty had taken no harm from his run in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and told Racing Victoria that the juvenile had taken plenty of benefit from his stint in the paddock.
“I know his last-start was obviously the Lightning, but you’re only two once, and he’s a sprinting horse so we thought we may as well have a crack with a low weight,” Hawkes said.
“It didn’t work out; but he’s been to the paddock and had a good spell.
“He’s really matured a lot, he looks good and is really well.
“He’s grown a little bit, there’s not a lot of him anyway and he’s that real sprinting type, but he’s very solid and very strong, so we’ve got him right and he’s come back really good.”
Bugatty will be heading into The Grand Hotel Frankston Handicap with two barrier trial victories under his belt, winning over 900 metres at Rosehill Gardens on May 27 and June 10, and Hawkes is confident that he can start his winter campaign with a win at Sandown on Wednesday.
The Hawkes stable have not developed any long-term plans with Bugatty and Hawkes said that they are simply looking to get the son of Dreamscape back in winning form before potentially looking towards the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
“It’s exciting to get him back to the races,” Hawkes said.
“It’s sort of off-season-ish, but we just wanted to get him back to the track and get him going through the grades.
“He’s still here in Sydney obviously, all going well he’ll head down tonight.
“He’s got 59.5kgs on Wednesday which is a fair bit of weight, but in saying that he is going back through the grades.
“We just want to get him back winning and get his mind right and hopefully progress from there.”
