The food bowl was just the best thing for her as a young pup - reps everyday and high motivation. Even with toy driven dogs would be only a few who would not be keen for the dinner bowl but some will not be interested in a few kibble in a bowl when not so hungry. With an older dog I would go with what has proven value quicker once the basic behaviour was learnt but still train the 3 parts separately before putting it together. Focus forward without looking around to get direction, speed on the go out to get straight run and then the final behavior (down,sit or wait etc). Once you have all 3 independently use them for a short distance at the beginning of each session before adding distance. Use a variety of obvious markers at first and then start fading them smaller when the dog is confident that they should run and something will be out there. If you can get the reward delivered at a distance that is good (as with the ball thrower I use here) but you can try have the reward preplaced - just watch for them deciding to hunt for it before they get the distance (especially with spaniels) . So keep the odour part low as we are wanting more visual - if using food watch wind direction and use low odour with a good visual marker. Can also use a closed container on the target mat but then you have to get out to open it - but does teach them to stay and wait for release. The speed is all about finding what they really want - toy, food at dinner time when hungry etc - without something to spin them up hard to get the speed.

@Nick Benger as this is about the most common failure exercise in trials I started to the dinner bowl when I first got her. 2 key things were a strong focus straight ahead without looking to the side (exercises like swdi indication training helped there) and a fast go out. Speed means they are more likely to be straight. So dinner every night to start with to get both of those. Then build a maintaining forward focus under distractions and extending distance. When bowl was not easily seen added a marker of some sort to focus on. In trials that might be some wood or small p8le of hay etc. Then using toys out there. After a long history of fast an accurate throw in occasional down at a distance. Ball thrower was good to get reward at distance after the down.