Mr Dinos set for a golden double

What do Gildoran, Sadeem, Drum Taps, Kayf Tara and Royal Rebel all have in common?

The answer is that all five have won the Gold Cup twice in the last 20 years, and Mr Dinos is poised to join their select club when he lines up against 13 rivals in what should be a memorable renewal of the Ladies' Day showpiece at Royal Ascot tomorrow.

Clearly, there has to be a reason why so many horses have won Europe's premier staying contest more than once, and that reason lies in the fact that precious few high-class thoroughbreds have the stamina to see out two-and-a-half miles round a searching track like Ascot.

Those who do genuinely stay tend to excel year-in year-out, and Mr Dinos looked Gold Cup material well before he lined up for last year's marathon.

Godolphin's Mamool won the battle for favouritism that day, but Mr Dinos galloped the whole field into submission after grinding down the late lamented Persian Punch on the home turn and looked as fresh as paint under Kieren Fallon, as he passed the post six lengths clear of toiling rivals.

Critics might suggest that three subsequent defeats raise concerns as to whether Mr Dinos is capable of reproducing the form 12 months on, but that would surely be a hasty stance to take.

Something seemed to go amiss when he flopped on soft ground in the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp last October, while a mile and three quarters was barely enough to get him warmed up when he finished fourth behind Millenary in the Yorkshire Cup at York five weeks ago.

However, Mr Dinos showed clear signs that he is ready to peak again in a steadily-run Henry II Stakes over two miles at Sandown last time, rallying strongly despite being hampered in the closing stages to go down by a length-and-a-half to the Godolphin challenger Papineau.