Big race jockey Craig Williams will be aiming to for his third consecutive win in the Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19 after securing the ride the on top international visitor Dandino.
Craig Williams on board Dunaden wining the 2012 Caulfield Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Managing owner Darren Dance met with Newmarket trainer Marco Botti in Paris during the Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe carnival to discuss a Caulfield Cup rider for the six year old with Williams getting the nod.
Williams took out the 2011 Caulfield Cup on the Leon Macdonald trainer Southern Speed and then last year brought 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden from last to win for French trainer Mikel Delzangles.
Leading English jockey Ryan More who rode Dandino to win the US$400,000 American St. Leger Stakes (1 mile, 5 1/2 furlongs) at Arlington Park, USA on August 17 will be back aboard the Dansili stallion in the Group 1 $6.2m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5.
Dandino was the star of the show this morning at the Werribee International Horse Centre impressing track watchers and work rider Paul Francis in a 1400m work out with fellow English galloper, Cox Plate bound Side Glance.
Francis let Dandino settle a couple lengths off of Side Glance until, the home turn when he let the six year old down and quickly gathered in his working companion to score a narrow win on the line.
“He felt like a different horse today. He can be quite lazy but he picked up really well which surprised me. He wouldn’t do that at home,” Francis said.
Dance said that Botti had reported that Dandino had settled in well at Werribee and was looking forward to contesting the Caulfield Cup.
“We brought him here to try to win the Caulfield Cup,” Dance said.
“The Melbourne Cup is so hard, we saw that last year when Jakkalberry ran third.
“When you bring them out here you have to try to win both races.”
The Dansili six year old comes to Australia after winning the American St. Leger Stakes and Botti is following the same path he took with Jakkalberry last year who also won the American St Leger before finishing thirteenth to Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup and running a terrific race when third to Green Moon in the Melbourne Cup.
Dandino is well in the market for the Caulfield Cup on the third line of betting at $10 behind the Chris Waller pair of Hawkspur ($4.40) and Royal Descent ($9).
While in the Melbourne Cup, Dandino is a $19 chance in the market order that has the Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente the $5.50 favourite in front of Hawkspur at $8 and Puissance De Lune at $11.
