Everything about the European form of Cepheus suggests he is a dour stayer, but a couple of campaigns into his Australian journey and the horse’s career is being reimagined.
The gelding arrived two years ago as a Listed winner over 2500m in France and connections were hopeful he could develop into a Cups contender.
He fuelled that fire with a stakes-placing over 2000m at his initial preparation before his career was interrupted for 16 months by injury.
Returning with two eye-catching performances over sprint trips, Cepheus then led throughout to win the Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in March but as the horse began to stretch out in distance, trainer Matt Dunn came to a realisation.
“We were running off his European form, he was a stakes winner over 2500 and we assumed he’d come over here and be the same horse but he’s just not,” Dunn said.
“He led over 1500 at Rosehill in the Ajax, a Group Two, and beat them convincingly.
“We persevered down the path of getting him to stay and he just slowed down the fitter I got him.”
After Cepheus again went too keenly before labouring into third in the Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) at Doomben on May 13, Dunn made the bold decision to freshen him up and drop him significantly in distance.
He was balloted out of the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) but will take his place in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday when blinkers go back on.
“It’s way outside the ordinary, him dropping back from 2000, but he’s had the time to freshen so I think he’ll be fine,” Dunn said.
“It’s not hard to do with a horse like him because he takes so much work to keep him up to the mark. All I had to do was come back and train him like a sprinter again.
“Back to 1350 the blinkers can go back on, and he won’t get an opportunity to over-race. I think he will be really competitive.”
If Cepheus performs to expectations, next stop will be the South Grafton Cup (1600m), a qualifying race for the Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.
Brodie Loy has ridden Cepheus in three of his four Brisbane starts and is again in the saddle this weekend.