Bernie Miller believes dual stakes winner Cup Night is back on track after a setback and will begin his winter campaign next month.
Miller has targeted the Listed Bolton Sprint (1200m) on July 25 as Cup Night’s return if he gets through a second trial in two weeks.
After he won the Scenic Blast Stakes (1200m) and finished runner-up in the Pinjarra Classic (1300m) in February, Cup Night’s autumn campaign came to a sudden halt.
The Maschino four-year-old was being prepared for the Bunbury Stakes, but a nasty stomach virus kept him out of the 1400m feature sprint.
Miller says Cup Night appeared to have recovered well, but he will take a cautious approach and ease him back into racing.
“He went through a bit leading into the Bunbury Stakes,” Miller told The Races WA.
“I hope he has recovered, but you won’t know until we put him under extreme pressure.
“His bloods have been improving very slowly, it hasn’t jumped back as quickly as what I thought it would.
“Hopefully we are over it.
“He will go to another trial and then the Bolton Sprint, but if I’m not 100 per cent happy with him, we will side step it and find another one.”
Under regular jockey, Pat Carbery, Cup Night ran second to Pick Your Battles in a 950m trial at Lark Hill on Monday.
Miller said Cup Night was unextended in his heat.
“He wasn’t asked to go out there and break any world records,” Miller said.
“The first trial was going to be a nervous release type of hit out.
“I was pretty happy with it, Pat didn’t knock him around or push him out at all.
“His heart rate and everything was good.”
Julio Santarelli