UK Cups contender Dandino will follow an identical path to stablemate Jakkalberry as he prepares for his Melbourne spring carnival assault, reports Racing Network.
Darren Dance, whose Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock manages the six-year-old, said Dandino would have his final start before heading to Melbourne in next month's American St Leger at Arlington, Chicago.
Last year Jakkalberry won the American St Leger before heading to Melbourne where he ran 13th in the Caulfield Cup before finishing third behind Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup. Dance said it was never trainer Marco Botti’s intention to run Dandino, runner-up behind Thomas Chippendale in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, in the Princess Of Wales Stakes at Newmarket tomorrow.
“The plan was always to go straight from the Hardwicke to the Arlington race, the same as Jakkalberry last year,” Dance said. “He’ll run in the (American) St Leger then return to England, be freshened up and then come to Melbourne in September.”
The US$400,000 American St Leger (2700 m) will be run at Arlington on Saturday, August 17 on the same program as the Arlington Million. Dance said Jakkalberry would accompany Dandino on the flight to Melbourne and would run first-up in the Caulfield Cup.
He said Jakkalberry had recovered from the leg injury he sustained in winning the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold at Meydan in March. Dance noted that Crackerjack King, a half-brother to Jakkalberry, would arrive in Sydney later this month before being sent to David Hayes, but he said the spring may not be an option.
“He may run in a race like the MacKinnon, but we’re looking more to the Australian Cup next year,” Dance said.