Consistently in work since last July, the Chris Waller trained Cellarman has never gone better and has now won four of his past five starts.
Cellarman - images Steve Hart
A stakes-winner at two in Brisbane, he lost form as an early three year-old and was duly gelded before finding his way back to top form, but his rise back to stakes class has caught connections by surprise as he is not eligible to run in the Group I ATC Doncaster given he was never entered.
"He was just a midweek horse when nominations for the Doncaster closed," Waller said.
"He has been a surprise packet.
"We will have five or six runners in the Doncaster who are more qualified than him so we will probably freshen him up and get him ready for a race like the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane.
"He is a happy horse and has improved with racing."
A $90,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Star Thoroughbreds from the Yallambee Stud draft, he was originally a $70,000 weanling purchase from the Vinery draft at the Magic Millions National Sale.
A half-brother to stakes-winner Cellar Girl, he is from Vintage Blend, a half-sister to stakes-winner Vintner from the family of champion filly Triscay. Vintage Blend died last year and her last foal, a yearling filly by Husson (Arg), made $80,000 at the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Cellarman is the 37th stakes-winner for Vinery Stud's veteran sire Mossman.
