Trainer Matthew Dunn has qualified Impasse and Badoosh for The Big Dance after the pair finished one-two in the Murwillumbah Cup.
Friday’s 1550m feature at Murwillumbah was a qualifier for The Big Dance, a $2 million race over 1600m at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.
Heats have been run, starting at Goulburn last October, at various country venues around the NSW with the first two horses’ home in each race exempt from the ballot for The Big Dance on November 1.
Ridden by Matthew Mcguren, Impasse ($26) edged out his stablemate Badoosh ($14) with the Chris Waller-trained Giannis ($6.50) in third place.
Dunn said the Murwillumbah Cup had been the target for both Impasse and Badoosh for some time.
“It doesn’t work out very often, but it did today, and they were both very well-ridden,” Dunn told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“They got into positions that I thought were a bit vulnerable early, but they showed their competitiveness late in the race.
“It’s a difficult feeling because I feel for the owners of the second horse, but they’re both now qualified, and fingers crossed we can go through to The Big Dance.”
Impasse carried 64kg when fourth in the Maclean Cup (1400m) at Grafton on July 17 and dropped to 61kg on Friday.
McGuren had Impasse settled at the back of the field from the wide draw before hooking out widest in the straight.
“He had a finish underneath me and I had to let him use it,” McGuren said.
“He was good first-up with the big weight, but he was better today, and Matt’s done an incredible job to go one-two.
“The pace was a bit muddling, but he’s a horse you can ride anywhere and he’s a happy horse that knows his job.”
