Cepheus could give Dunn a Glasshouse breakthrough

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Matt Dunn will roll the dice one more time for a chance at some belated Queensland Racing Carnival glory with Cepheus in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

The British import’s eye-catching fourth to Lady Of Honour in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich last start convinced the Murwillumbah trainer to have a throw at the stumps in the Glasshouse Handicap.

“I’ve had quite a few runners in the Glasshouse over the years but I’m yet to win it,” Dunn said.

“His run in the Eye Liner was great and in another 20 metres he would have won.

“He just ran out of track and the Sunshine Coast track will be perfect for him.”

Dunn has had limited opportunities in the major winter features this year and is hopeful Cepheus can end his dry spell.

“He’s going good and has pulled up well after the Eye Liner so it would be nice to win it,” Dunn said.

“We haven’t had many opportunities this winter as the timing wasn’t right for a lot of our runners.”

Dunn is keen to qualify Cepheus for the $3 million The Big Dance at Randwick in October and hasn’t ruled out heading to the South Grafton Cup.

“The Glasshouse has always been in his program and I think he’ll run a great race,” Dunn said.

“He’ll run in the Glasshouse and then we have the option of the South Grafton or Murwillumbah Cups, which are qualifying races for The Big Dance.”

Dunn believes he has finally worked out the British import who was a $600,000 purchase by OTI Racing after winning over middle distances overseas.

The six-year-old was once considered a Melbourne Cup hope in 2021 before he bowed a tendon in the Listed Tatt‘s Club Cup at Randwick in 2021.

After a lengthy time out in the paddock to recuperate, Dunn believes he has stumbled on the key with the four-time career winner.

“The Doomben Cup was his original target but he seems to do his best racing fresh,” Dunn said.

Dunn got his first inkling of Cepheus being at his best while fresh when he led all the way in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes at Rosehill in March.

He also reverted to blinkers on Cepheus in the Eye Liner to help sharpen him up for the sprint journey.

In the latest TAB markets, Cepheus - a Kyle Wilson-Taylor mount – is a $8.50 chance behind $4.40 favourite Munhamek.