Dandino

Dandino showed an impressive turn of foot from the rear to win the Class 2 10-furlong handicap at Epsom on Derby Day. James Given’s colt was held up in midfield through the early stages, travelling smoothly for jockey Paul Mulrennan. He was still travelling nicely as they came up the home straight, but it looked ominous when he was caught behind a wall of horses at the two-furlong pole. Mulrennan never panicked, however, and when a gap did appear, Dandino quickened up impressively to take up the running from Fine Sight and Life And Soul, who raced in first and second through the race, inside the final furlong to win going away with plenty in hand. It was an impressive performance under a confident ride.

This race usually throws up a lot of winners, it has been won in the past by the likes of Conduit and Stage Gift, who both progressed to be high class performers, Conduit now a quadruple Group 1 winner. Dandino was completing a hat-trick here, he had good horses like Verdant and Arlequin, who was well backed, in behind him and he did really well to pick up so well off what was only a steady pace. He was hemmed in on the rail on his previous run at Doncaster as well, and he probably would have been more impressive than he was there if he had got out earlier, so the handicapper may be struggling to catch up with him.

A son of Dansili, he is a really likeable sort, he skipped the Edinburgh Cup at Musselburgh in order to run in this. It was only his fifth time on a racecourse and it would be no surprise if he developed into a Pattern race performer later in the season. The handicapper raised him 9lb for this effort but that could still underestimate him, he is in the King George V stakes at Royal Ascot, which is interesting. He has every chance of staying the extra two furlongs, given how well he finished here and the fact that there is plenty of stamina on his dam’s side, and he would have a major chance in that race if he took his chance in it, as long as it didn’t come up too soon after this.

5th June 2010