Astute Gold Coast trainer Howard Wilson likes to keep his cards close to his chest but he can't contain the enthusiasm he feels about exciting gelding Fifteen Carat.Fifteen Carat resumes from a spell in Saturday's Randy Pascual Tribute Hcp (1200m) at Doomben and Wilson isn't kidding when he says he has set the horse for the Stradbroke Handicap."He's a pretty special horse this bloke and I think he can win a good race over the carnival," Wilson said."He does things only good horses can do and I'm

Astute Gold Coast trainer Howard Wilson likes to keep his cards close to his chest but he can't contain the enthusiasm he feels about exciting gelding Fifteen Carat.

Fifteen Carat resumes from a spell in Saturday's Randy Pascual Tribute Hcp (1200m) at Doomben and Wilson isn't kidding when he says he has set the horse for the Stradbroke Handicap.

"He's a pretty special horse this bloke and I think he can win a good race over the carnival," Wilson said.

"He does things only good horses can do and I'm hoping to qualify him for the Stradbroke - he's that sort of horse."

The Group One $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) is at Eagle Farm on June 12.

Wilson has booked AJC Australian Derby hero Stathi Katsidis to partner Fifteen Carat and the in-form hoop has a special incentive to win.

Fifteen Carat is raced by a partnership which includes Katsidis' fiancee Melissa Jackson and the three-year-old is by his first Group One winner Show A Heart.

Katsidis won the 2000 TJ Smith Classic (1600m) on Show A Heart and the striking stallion has clearly stamped Fifteen Carat with many of his physical attributes.

Wilson's confidence in Fifteen Carat was boosted after the horse produced a slashing trial when a close second to Gillian Heinrich's top-class sprinter Ghetto Blaster over 1000m at the Gold Coast on April 6.

Chris Munce rode Fifteen Carat in the trial with Katsidis aboard Ghetto Blaster and Wilson said he was pleasantly surprised by the dash his horse displayed.

"He trialled very well. He wasn't pushed out at all and he went to the line full of running," Wilson said.

"He normally gets a mile back in his races but he was midfield in a pretty quick trial and I expect him to be no worse than midfield on Saturday."

Fifteen Carat has raced eight times for two wins and two seconds and scored a last-start victory at Eagle Farm over the Stradbroke distance on January 16 when he stormed home from well back for a narrow win.

Prior to that Fifteen Carat finished sixth to Graceful Anna in the Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) and Wilson had no hesitation in comparing him favourably to his 1991 Villiers Stakes winner Shining Wind.

"He's easily a superior horse to Shining Wind at the same stage of their careers and he is right up there with best horses I have trained," Wilson said.

"He's a very good horse and I just have to try and qualify him for the Stradbroke."