DANDINO failed by one length to provide Marco Botti and Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock with a threepeat in the American St Leger on Sunday morning (AEST) at Arlington Park, Chicago.
But Darren Dance, the principal of ATB, was far from disappointed.
Dance, who earlier in the morning savoured Seismos winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, said there was much to like about Dandino’s final run before he heads to Melbourne.
“The winner (The Pizza Man) sat second then scooted on the bend while we had to come down the centre of the track,” Dance said.
“He was winding them in. The line came up a bit too close.
“Marco (Botti) was really pleased with him. He said it was a much harder St Leger field than when he won last year.”
Dandino ran second behind Fawkner in last year's Caulfield Cup then finished fifth behind Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup.
Dance said Seismos, who won the Group 3 at Newbury in just his third start for Botti, and Dandino would not have another run before going into quarantine.
He said Guest of Honour, who holds a Cox Plate entry, also would not run again.
“He’ll run first up in the Toorak and hopefully then go into the Cox Plate,” Dance said.
The formerly Chris Waller-trained Kelinni will run in the Ebor Handicap, a race in which he would need to perform extremely well in to justify a trip back to Australia.