Mr Dinos ready for Gold repeat bid

Paul Cole is expecting Mr Dinos to put up a good defence of his title in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot tomorrow.

The five-year-old beat six lengths in the marathon two-and-half mile race last season and he will face 13 rivals as he tries for a second win.

Mr Dinos, a son of Desert King will be having his third start of the season tomorrow after finishing fourth in the Yorkshire Cup and second in the bonusprint.com Henry II Stakes at Sandown last time.

Cole’s charge was beaten Godolphin’s Papineau in that two-mile race but Mr Dinos was giving 7lb to the winner and jockey Kieren Fallon has to snatch up in the closing stages as he ran out of room so the signs are that he could reverse the form.

“He did his final bit of work yesterday and it went well. He’s fine and ready to run,” said Cole.

“The form is there for everyone to see, he was a bit unlucky and the winner had a 7lb pull at Sandown. Mr Dinos also needed further than that race.”

Before his win in the race last season, Mr Dinos spent three weeks in isolation at Cole’s yard as the stable had some virus problems.

The Whatcombe handler reports preparations to have gone much more smoothly this time though.

“Last year we had a lot of problems and we have not had those problems this time round. We had a bit of the virus last year and then he threw a splint after the Sandown race and that hasn’t happened this year,” he explained.

“I don’t think the race is going to suit all horses tomorrow as it’s probably going to be a bit firm for some but he seems to go on it.

“I’m never confident going into a race as I’ve had too many horses go wrong, but we’re very pleased with him.”

Trainer Hughie Morrison is worried about the firm ground for his runner Alcazar.

The nine-year-old is a fragile performer having had long spells out of action with a variety of problems including a broken pelvis and a tendon injury.

Alcazar has already won the Listed “Further Flight” Stakes at Nottingham this season and he was second to Millenary in the Yorkshire Cup when Mr Dinos was some six lengths behind.

“He seems in very good form. We’d love them to do a proper watering job tonight or have some heavy rain to help us out,” said Morrison.

“We think there are a few holes in the favourite (Mr Dinos) so we are very keen to have a go.”

Alcazar met with both Dermot Weld’s Vinnie Roe and the Elie Lellouche-trained Westerner in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp last year when Westerner beat Alcazar two and a half lengths and Vinnie Roe was back in fourth.

“Our form is rock solid. He might not stay and he might not like the ground but we are talking ourselves into it,” added Morrison.

“We thrashed the favourite at York, we beat Vinnie Roe last year and Westerner we might have beaten had he been more enterprisingly ridden.

“Alcazar has stayed two miles on soft ground – the ground is my major concern but sometimes one has to be brave.”