Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Iron horse Cepheus has banked over $1.64 million in his spring campaign yet trainer Matthew Dunn has revealed he can barely pass a horse in trackwork at home.

Trainer Mathew Dunn (Pic: Grant Guy)

It’s an amazing contradiction that the gelding is so leisurely at home yet when he turns up on race day, as Dunn says, he’s a “different creature” altogether.

The seven-year-old, $7.50 with TAB on Thursday, will be out to add to his take his spring haul beyond the $2 million mark and add the $1 million Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) to his CV at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

“He’s a proper competitor because he’s never won a track gallop in his life,’’ Dunn said.

“He works better by himself than he does with mates. I could line him up with a maiden and he wouldn’t go with it at home on the track.

“Then race day comes around and he’s like a different creature. It’s incredible.

“He looks after himself, he’s had that injury and that was a long time ago now, and it’s a massive help that he has that attitude. He’s a pretty good horse to have around the place.”

While the spring campaign was centred on the Big Dance, and he didn’t quite pull that off finishing second to Attractable in the $3m feature, there’s little to complain about when you consider what he’s achieved.

Since he won the South Grafton Cup in July he’s taken out the Group 2 Shannon Stakes, the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes and his campaign may not be over as next month’s $2 million The Ingham isn’t out of the question.

“It’s a sign of the times at the moment, the prizemoney is so high that horses can earn huge amounts of money so quickly,’’ Dunn said.

“He was an expensive horse when he came out from Europe then he got a bowed tendon 12 months later and when that happens you wonder where to go from here.

“Obviously you take it a run at a time but if he runs very well he could go through to The Ingham, after that he’ll go home and have a couple of weeks at the beach.”

A feature of Cepheus’ spring has been his ability to draw the right barriers to make his weight carrying job easier.

He was lumped with 62kg in the Big Dance but with barrier one Nash Rawiller was able to park him on the fence without doing any work, it was just that Attractable asked all those chasing him to carry their weight.

“He gets the right run again, it’s a massive advantage when you’ve got to carry 61kg,’’ Dunn said.

“He’s come through really well, he’s still chugging along as he was four starts ago. He hasn’t missed a beat.

“Nash the other day said because we had the weight and the way the race ended up being run he had to make a long run on him which was something we really didn’t want to have to do.

“At the 100m he was out on his feet but the only horse that came out of the pack to chase the leader down.”

Dunn’s leading Newhaven Park Country Championships hope Tribeca Star chases a second TAB Highway (1400m) and the trainer sees barrier one as no disadvantage to his chances.

After an impressive Highway win three weeks ago, Dunn elected to fit a one-eyed blinker to prevent the gelding from laying in as he did when making his run at Rosehill.

“He’s improved again, his work last weekend was amazing and he’s in a good spot,’’ he said.

“He has a bit more weight than I was hoping for, but he’s a big strong boy and will carry it.

“I don’t want to change his pattern, he’s a horse best ridden with a sit. I’d love him box seating or two pairs back, he’ll get the advantage of the rail, that will do.”

Talented sprinter Emperor isn’t on a Country Championships path at this stage as Dunn works on teaching the gelding to settle and go through his gears in his races.

Cepheus runs second in The Big Dance

The half-brother to recent Group 1 winner Joliestar certainly showed acceleration in scoring a dominant Highway win first-up on Big Dance day, dashing home in 33.35 for his last 600m (Punter’s Intelligence), and Dunn hopes he can find a good back to follow from his awkward alley in the Elite Sand & Soil Handicap (1000m).

“If he’s three deep with cover I wouldn’t be concerned at all,’’ he said.

“He galloped on Tuesday morning and worked really strong. He’s not quite fit yet, he needs this to really sharpen him.

“I think the 1000m is perfect again, this will tighten him up then he’s really to go further.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Kembla Grange meeting