Sunday’s meeting at Grafton could turn out to be a most exciting one for connections with both Cepheus and Baby Rider in the qualifier race for the $3m ‘Big Dance’ on Melbourne Cup Day at Randwick.
The Big Dance is new race created by Racing NSW and was run for the first time last year. It’s a 1600m Quality Handicap for 3yo’s and upwards with the field being drawn from winners and second-placed horses of the 25 Country Cup races from across New South Wales, including the South Grafton Quality Cup this Sunday.
One of our runners in Sunday’s race is Cepheus, who has been most honest and competitive throughout his preparation and backs up in the race after just missing out on the win in last week’s Listed Glasshouse Handicap at Sunshine Coast. In his eight starts this campaign, he has only been out of the first four on one occasion (heavy track) and won the Group 2 Ajax Stakes at Rosehill back in March.
After his pleasing run last start, trainer Matthew Dunn said “It was another great effort by the horse, he has been such a pleasure to train this preparation. He was probably just held up for 50m too long but he finished so strongly. He’s pulled up well and Sunday’s race would be a nice bonus if he could win it.”
Cepheus will be ridden by Aaron Bullock at 62kg and jumps from barrier 6.
Also potentially taking a chance of qualifying for the Big Dance is Baby Rider. His trainer Bjorn Baker said “Running him in the South Grafton Quality Cup on Sunday with it being the qualifier for the $3m ‘Big Dance’ at Randwick is a big carrot”.
Sunday’s race also gives Baby Rider the opportunity to step up in distance from last start’s 1400m, which still might be a bit short for his liking, given he was a Group 2 winner at Saint-Cloud over 2100m at just his fourth career start.
Given the talent we know he has, connections are excited to see him fully unfold here Down Under. Baby Rider will be ridden by Ashley Morgan at 60kgs from barrier 11.
See the nominations and all race details for the South Grafton Quality Cup here.
Best of luck to all connections!