HARDWICKE Stakes runner-up Dandino confirmed his booking for the Melbourne spring with his run at Royal Ascot earlier today.
Dandino, owned by Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, finished one length behind Thomas Chippendale, who suffered a heart attack and died shortly after the finish.
The rising seven-year-old, ridden by Frankie Dettori, fought on strongly in a race that featured another spring aspirant Mount Athos, who ran into traffic issued and was caught flat-footed before finishing fifth.
Trainer Marco Botti described the performance as “a good run” in what was an incident-packed race that saw favourite Ekrtihaam, slip nearly fell and throw jockey Paul Hanagan into the plastic running rail.
Botti said he’s yet to finalise plans for Dandino, but he added it’s likely the horse, which last year won the September Stakes and ran a head second behind Sea Moon in the Tapster Stakes, will have another UK run.
“The Melbourne Cup will be the plan, but I’m not sure where we go in between,” Botti told the Sporting Life.
Botti said that it’s expected that Dandino would run in the Caulfield Cup before the Melbourne Cup.