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Trial and error is usually the way to find out what a horse’s strengths are and Matthew Dunn is convinced he’s discovered the key to imported stayer Cepheus – that he’s a dry tracker.

Dunn says it has to be significant that the five-year-old's two best runs since joining his stable have been on good ground while his failures have come on tracks with give in them.

So if Randwick remains good for Saturday's Listed $140,000 ClubsNSW City Tattersall's Club Cup (2400m) then Dunn expects Cepheus will produce his best run of the preparation.

"He's no good on soft ground, I know Newcastle was rated a five but it was choppy and raced like a wet track,'' Dunn said.

"Probably the fact lots of his form in Europe is on synthetic tracks isn't by coincidence.

"His first-up run at Kembla was really good and I was on the verge of scratching him that day because the track was racing a bit firm. But I think that's what he likes, the firmer the better.

"We just all assume they all handle wet tracks because that's what they generally race on.

"He was really plain on those soft tracks in races that weren't strong, I know they were below his best distance but you'd expect him to run past half of them in the straight."

Cepheus, $5 with TAB on Thursday, plummets in class after finishing third behind Think It Over at level weights in the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) three weeks ago.

The gelding was scratched from the Craven Plate last weekend when the track came up on the heavy side and Dunn elected to trial the horse and wait for this race.

"I was shocked with how quickly it dried out last week so it should end up a good deck for him,'' he said.

"I think he will be very hard to beat. The gate is a problem and we were positive on him last start but I'm not sure we can afford to do that from out there so we will probably end up a bit further back.

"He galloped great on Tuesday morning and did some pace work (Thursday) morning and he's bright and well, ready to rock and roll."

Yamazaki is an emergency for The Invitation and if she doesn't get a late call up for that race Dunn expects her to be hard to beat in the Robrick Lodge Filante Handicap (1400m).

The mare resumed in the Group 3 Nivison over 1200m and hit the line late beaten 2.6 lengths by Minhaaj after going back from a wide gate.

Dunn said her work this week tells him that she's ready to run a big race because she usually runs up to her work.

"I'd love to get a run in the Invitation because she galloped on Tuesday as good as I've seen her work since she's been in my care,'' he said.

"Wherever she is going she is going to be competitive but I'd rather be running for $2 million.

"I know she's a backmarker but a draw helps, you don't have to drag all the way back to last. If she can jump okay and get in front of a few of them it will be a positive."

Three-year-old Artero has his first start since May when thrown in the deep end in the Listed $200,000 Daily Press Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) and Dunn says he's a horse for later in the preparation.

The gelding won the rich Inglis Challenge on debut at Scone on Cup Day but Dunn said he was probably at the end of his preparation when safely held at his subsequent attempt.

"He's a much stronger horse now, he's not fit yet and will probably need this run to tick him over,'' he said.

"From the inside gate he won't have to do any work. He is going to be vulnerable late but it's going to be a small field and a slowly run race, he could run into a place for sure."