Trainer Tony Gollan will resist the temptation to chase a bonus with Rockhampton Cup winner Silvera and bring the gelding back to Brisbane for a stakes race.
Gollan had a disastrous first day of the Rockhampton carnival on Friday, failing to get a placegetter with six runners but he stormed home with a double on the second day on Saturday.
“It was a bit like a game of football with the first half a wipe-out but coming home strongly in the second half to win,” Gollan said.
“After Friday I was reaching for the headache pills but it turned out OK.”
Silvera out-slogged a classy field to win the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup on a heavy track.
The win meant Silvera was in line for a $150,000 bonus for a horse winning any three of the Rockhampton Cup, Mackay Cup, Townsville Cup, Cairns Cup and Cairns Amateur Cup.
“Mackay might suit him but I don’t think the other tracks are his go,” Gollan said.
“I will bring him home for the (Listed) Tattersall’s Mile on Saturday week where he will get a light weight and a track to suit.”
Originally trained by Tony McEvoy in Adelaide, Silvera has now won seven races and nearly $350,000 prize money.
He is raced by Gollan’s long-time owners Linda and Graham Huddy who also race the trainer’s other Rockhampton winner High Wind.
“There should be more wins for Silvera but I think High Wind might be retired now and he will make a nice show horse,” Gollan said.
One of the highlights of the weekend for Gollan was the debut of two-year-old Knight Mariner who ran third at Doomben in a three-way photo finish.
“He isn’t there yet but when he matures you will see a very nice horse,” he said.
Knight Mariner is likely to have his next start in a two-year-old-handicap over 1500m at Eagle Farm in a fortnight.
