Jamie Mott couldn’t believe the improvement in Daily Bugle when he came from the clouds for a first-up victory in the Ladbrokes Hcp (1200m) at Sandown-Lakeside on Wednesday.
Mott’s first ride on the son of Vinery sire Press Statement had been a successful one in last year’s Mornington Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and their most recent was more than twelve months ago when third in the VRC Carbine Club Quality (Gr.3, 1600m) at Flemington.
Daily Bugle lost his way for five different jockeys during the second-half of last season but he looked the genuine article when resuming for trainers Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock as a well-tried $4.40 favourite on Wednesday. “He’s never felt so good,” Mott declared. “He’s super and that was a massive win. We were a long way off them and I had to give him a squeeze to stay in contact because we had to make up a fair bit of ground.
“He’s always had ability and now that he’s been gelded, you are going to see a real good horse. A 1200 metre trip is not his go but he was awesome today and has definitely got a future.”
Daily Bugle (4g Press Statement – Hold Me Closer by Danehill Dancer) was bred and sold by Tarcoola Stud’s Ken Williams for $230,000 at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. “People were telling me he was one of best walking horses at Oaklands,” Williams recalled. “And there’s nothing wrong with his pedigree.”
His older half-brother Thought Of That (So You Think) won the 2019 Caulfield Classic (Gr.3, 2000m) and they are from a half-sister to Golden Slipper Gr.1 runner-up How Funny (Rory’s Jester).
Daily Bugle is trained by Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock for a partnership that includes Williams and Robbie’s wife Shiranee. “He’s very athletic,” de Kock said at Oaklands. “Robbie has a good eye and he put good money on the line for him.”
Dream Statement was another progressive winner for Press Statement and Southern Cross Thoroughbreds on Tuesday. The lightly-raced filly went out a $2.60 favourite in the Terang Hotel Hcp (1200m) and she cruised home under Dean Yendell and a heavy saddle to make 60.5kg.
She’s one of 10 individual winners for Press Statement so far this month while Southern Cross Thoroughbreds has welcomed six winners back to scale in December.
Dream Statement (3f Press Statement – Day Dream by Arazi) had won first-up last month prompting a glowing post-race report from Linda Meech at Ararat. Yendell also delivered a complimentary appraisal following her latest front-running victory.
“She was full of herself so I gave her a good canter going down to the post. She loaded good and was first out of the machine. The rest is history. She was always travelling strongly and just coasted through the line.”
Dream Statement was bred by Bassam Ghantous and sold for $22,000 through Vinery (as agent) at the 2021 Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale. She was purchased by agent John Foote acting on behalf of trainer Paul Preusker and a Southern Cross Thoroughbreds syndicate managed by Stephen and Tash Blakely.
Hoofnote: Press Statement’s NZ 3yo filly Asterial showed all the makings of a black-type galloper with a win against the odds on Friday. She was never closer than three-wide at Matamata but was too strong in a maiden over 1600m.
Asterial is trained locally by Simon & Katrina Alexander and was coming off a Hastings placing at her second start last month. Her dam Anisette (Keeper) is owned by Press Statement’s owner-breeder Tony Muollo and her third-dam is Champion NZ racehorse and broodmare Horlicks (Sir Tristram).
The Alexanders have been patient with Asterial who is a late November foal. She holds Group 1 entries for the New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on March 18.
