Aussies Buy Cup Hope Dandino

Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock have purchased globetrotting stayer Dandino with a view to aiming him at this year’s Melbourne Cup.

ATB acquired the entire earlier this week and he will be transferred to new trainer Marco Botti on Monday.

Botti also trains ATB-owned stayer Jakkalberry who finished third to Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

ATB director Darren Dance said the son of Dansili had been on the organisation’s radar for the past 18 months but the owners were initially reluctant to sell.

Dandino has raced in many countries around the world with success, with perhaps his best result a runner-up finish to Joshua Tree in the Group 1 Canadian International Stakes in October.

“He ran second to Joshua Tree in Canada and that is when Marco rang me and said ‘I think I’ve found our next Melbourne Cup horse’,” Dance told Sky Sports radio.

After that race ATB initiated negotiations but the owners wanted to run him in the Hong Kong Vase in December where he finished three lengths off 2011 Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux in seventh place.

“I didn’t want him to win that race because I wouldn’t have been able to buy him but I didn’t want him to run last either because I wouldn’t have wanted him,” Dance said.

Other key results on the British-bred galloper’s resume include winning the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton Park last year and the Group 2 Qipco Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket in April 2011.

Botti will immediately get to work setting him on a Melbourne Cup path where he will be joined by Jakkalberry.

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