Queensland Oaks 2016: Smart filly Kebede can put icing on stable’s rapid rise through the ranks

TWO years ago Matt Dunn dreamed big and gambled everything on an unfinished stable complex at Murwillumbah. That investment may pay off on Saturday.

Kebede is untried on a wet track, but is a sister to Panzer Division, who was a stakes winner in Sydney on very heavy ground. Picture: AAP

TWO years ago Matt Dunn and his wife Keira dreamed big and gambled everything on an unfinished stable complex at Murwillumbah. That investment may today pay off with their first Group 1 winner.

In Saturday’s Queensland Oaks, Dunn saddles Doomben Roses winner Kebede, a Redoute’s Choice filly bought for a relative song, which is in stark contrast to the outlay the Dunns made on their Murwillumbah training establishment.

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“It was expensive and we were a bit brave when we bought it, especially being at Murwillumbah,” Dunn said.

“I bought it with a lot of help from a lot of banks but it’s working out really well. It’s the facility we want and now the winners are coming it’s covering itself.

“Keira and I bought it about two years ago. It’s on seven acres. At the time it had 16 stables and we built the rest (now numbering 80) as we got enough money to go ahead and do it. We’re lucky we have been able to gradually get to the number we want. Now it’s a matter of getting better horses.’’

Dunn, who spent several years with top horses such as Clangalang and Snitzel at Gerald Ryan’s stable, is now hoping to secure boxes at Eagle Farm to complete what he thinks will be a perfect training set up.

Dunn has prepared 270 winners in the past three seasons and this year will reach a prizemoney record, with earnings set to smash through the $2 million mark.

She keeps finding more: Keira and Matt Dunn with Kebede.

Dunn won his first Group 3 race in December with Madotti and trumped that when Kebede won the Group 2 Roses.

“Better quality stock is the reason for those feature wins and we’re now training horses we want to train rather than ones we get to train,” he said.

“These are the first bunch of horses since (bloodstock agent) Neil Jenkinson and I started going to the sales and buying the better quality horses to syndicate them.”

When he was starting out, Dunn broke fairly new ground when he advertised his services extensively on Radio TAB in a bid to boost his profile as he set about building his training business.

Matthew Dunn regards Saturday’s Group 1 as “a pretty important step in the stable’s long term success’’. Picture: Mark Cranitch

“We had to make something happen,’’ he said. “We’re a bit isolated down here and we had to push and get our name out there. It was not something we wanted to do, it was something we had to do to make things start to roll along.

“We bought the horses, but we had to find someone to own them afterwards. I still don’t have a client that can spend $150,000 on a horse.

“We have to buy them and then hope and pray and beg, borrow and steal and get them syndicated.’’

Dunn regards Saturday’s Group 1 as “a pretty important step in the stable’s long term success’’.

“(Kebede) looked as awkward as anything as a yearling and it’s satisfying bringing her all the way through and then from a maiden to a Group 2 win and now a Group 1 start in the same preparation.”

Kebede is untried on a wet track, but is a sister to Panzer Division, who was a stakes winner in Sydney on very heavy ground. Dunn hopes that pedigree will help on Saturday.

“I’m surprised she hasn’t got a few more raps. Every time she goes to the races she finds a bit more,” he said.’

“At the 300m last time, she was easing around horses and with a big stride like hers, it’s hard to get mobile again. She did a really good job. I’m not sure why she is still under the radar, but that’s fine.’’

Originally published as Queensland Oaks 2016: Smart filly Kebede can put icing on stable’s rapid rise through the ranks