OTI Racing’s Sea The Stars gelding Cepheus (GB) broke through for his first win in Australia in Saturday’s Group II Hyland Race Colours Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Making his eighth start in his adopted homeland and the third since bowing a tendon in October 2021, Cepheus (GB) led at every call to defeat Waterford (IRE) (Awtaad) by one and a half lengths with Caesars Palace (Casino Prince) a neck back in third.
When trained by Brian Meehan, Cepheus (GB) had some solid form in Europe. OTI purchased him in a private deal brokered by Stuart Boman after winning a Listed race over 2500m at Deauville in December 2020.
All seemed to be going well for trainer Matthew Dunn when Cepheus (GB) was a close-up third behind Think It Over and Shared Ambition in the Group II Hill Stakes at Randwick, but three weeks later, he faced a career-ending injury.
Purchased as a Melbourne Cup hope, Cepheus (GB) earned his ticket to the $4 million Group 1 Doncaster Mile on April 1.
“He bowed a tendon 18 months ago, and it’s a long road back to here,” Dunn said.
“My team at home have certainly done their fair share of work with this horse because he’s been a long time coming.
“The plan was (to qualify for the Doncaster) when he came down. He arrived down Thursday morning, and he travelled well. He got a bit wound up in the yard today, which was a bit of a concern, but he’s hot, and so is everybody else today, so we probably can’t hold that against him.
“It surprised me to see him in front. When he was up there, I thought, ‘what are we going to do from here?’ Good to know that the horse has come back in good order, and a big thanks to OTI and the owner group for being so patient with him.”
“He’s done a good job, and always great to see Nash (Rawiller) take the plan into his own hands and make things up as he goes along. That was the best place for him in the race, and he came out on top.”
Cepheus is the best of two winners from five to race for the Van Nistelrooy mare Crimson Cheer and hasn’t this pedigree gone global in recent years?
Crimson Cheer is a half-sister to Group III Princess Margaret Stakes winner Mythical Girl (Gone West), whose son Toruk Macto (Authorized) was the Champion Imported 3YO Colt and Stayer in Turkey in 2012.
Mythical Girl’s daughter Miss Avalon (IRE), is the dam of the Group 1 ARC Diamond Stakes winner Vespa and Group II WATC RJ Peters Stakes winner Hazzabeel.
Another daughter of Mythical Girl is Matikanehatusimada (Private Account), the dam of Dark Shadow who defeated Real Impact (JPN) in the Group II Mainichi Okan. He was second to Tosen Jordan in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and was fourth in Gentildonna’s Japan Cup.
