The Gai Waterhouse trained Pornichet has been installed the favourite for the Group 1 $650,000 The Bundaberg Rum Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday following his win in the Toowoomba Cup on the weekend.

Toowoomba Cup winner Pornichet is the early favourite for the Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Steve Hart.

Waterhouse was forced to run the French import in the $100,000 XXXX Gold Toowoomba Cup (2150m) at Toowoomba, which he duly won, after missing out on a run when third emergency for the Group 2 $358,000 Sky Thoroughbred Central A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast the previous week.

The leading lady of Sydney racing is not concerned about backing up Pornichet week to week and is looking forward to him competing at Group 1 level.

“Not at all and I love back-up horses,” Waterhouse told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“He did it so easily (on Saturday) that I can’t see any problem with him backing up.”

Pornichet has been marked as the $4.80 favourite for the Doomben Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the Team Hawkes trained Leebaz at $7.50 and Chris Waller’s pair of I’m Imposing at $8.50 and Foreteller at $9.

Pornichet has now won three times from seven starts for Waterhouse’s Tulloch Lodge stables as well as running a handy fifth to Kermadec in the Group 1 $3m The Star 150th Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on the postponed first day of ‘The Championships’ on April 6.

The Vespone four year old won his first race on Australian soil when he beat General Groove and Spacecraft in the Group 3 $150,000 Mack Tow Sandown Stakes (1500m) at Sandown on the last day of the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Pornichet was then back in the winner’s circle in the Group 3 $150,000 The Sunday Telegraph Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 28 proving too strong for the Waller trio of Our Voodoo Prince, Hawkspur and Junoob before his Doncaaster Mile appearance.

Leebaz showed that he is on track for a second attempt at trying to win the Doomben Cup with a solid win in the A.D. Hollindale Stakes.

The Zabeel five year old ran a mighty race in the 2014 Doomben Cup when trying to lead all of the way but was run down by the super mare Streama who was able to claim the weight for age Winter Carnival feature by three quarters of a length.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes has a healthy respect for the Waterhouse trained Pornichet and looking forward to the pair meeting on Saturday.

“You can’t deny winners and it doesn’t matter how they do it or where they do it,” Hawkes said.