Dandino out of the Caulfield Cup

Dandino will miss the Caulfield Cup on Saturday due to lameness.

Marco Botti's stayer finished second in the Group One handicap 12 months ago but will play no part at Caulfield racecourse this weekend.

A decision on whether he will be fit enough to run in next month's Emirates Melbourne Cup - a race in which he came home fifth in 2013 - has yet to be made.

Darren Dance, managing director for Dandino's owners, Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, told TVN: "He's lame in the near-front leg and can't possibly run on Saturday.

"We don't know if he has knocked himself or what he has done, but he certainly won't be able to run on Saturday.

"I don't know, but experience tells me once you have an issue like this you can't fix it quickly.''

Botti is still set to be represented in the Caulfield Cup by stablemate Seismos.

The trainer said the next 24 hours are likely to determine whether Dandino runs in the Melbourne Cup on November 4.

"I've spoken to the vet this morning and we're not sure how serious the injury is yet," he told At The Races.

"He will be reviewed in the next 24 hours and at that point we will have to decide whether he will be fit to run in the Melbourne Cup or not."

Assessing the chances of Seismos at Caulfield, Botti said: "Seismos is in tremendous form. The head lad is very happy with him and says he has recovered well from the journey.

"He's training well, so everything seems to have gone right. He's drawn one and I always felt he was more a Melbourne Cup horse than a Caulfield Cup horse on a sharper track.

"However, he's a fresh horse, he hasn't run many times this year, and I expect a good run from him.''