[NoChanceToDance]

News of the well-travelled Doctor Dino

From RP.

Sheema Classic likely target for globetrotting Doctor Dino



by Nicholas Godfrey
.

DOCTOR DINO, who topped a lucrative international campaign with victory in the Hong Kong Vase, is set to be aimed at the Dubai Sheema Classic on World Cup night ahead of another globetrotting season.

Although he had never won above Group 3 level before 2007, this year the five-year-old has never been out of the first three in six Group 1s on three separate continents.

As well as winning in Hong Kong, Doctor Dino captured the Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park in September, and also finished third in the Prix Ganay, Champion Stakes, Singapore International Airlines Cup and Arlington Million, despite meeting ground softer than ideal in each of them.

His trainer, the Chantilly-based Englishman Richard Gibson, is now considering targets for 2008, starting with Dubai.

“We said straight away that there were no fixed plans but he will stay in training and, as he loves fast ground, we'll be looking very closely at Dubai,” he said.

“As long as he's in good nick, the Sheema Classic is the race to go for - it's a $3m pot for the winner, so it's a likely option, but he certainly won't have a prep.” After Dubai, Doctor Dino is unlikely to be seen for a few months before another autumn campaign geared towards the top international races.

“I should think he'll have a long break after Dubai,” said Gibson. “We won't see him again until the summer, and we'd hope to have him 100 per cent again for the autumn - that's where the big pots are. But I would be surprised if he has more than six starts.”

Doctor Dino is currently “on holiday” back home at Chantilly. “He is just jogging, getting some r'n'r,” said his trainer.

“It's minus six in Chantilly - I feel sorry for him being there - but even so, he's still full of beans.

“He is so consistent, and so receptive to training,” he added. “We knew on the better ground in Hong Kong that it would take a very good horse to beat him. He is obviously the best I have trained.”