New Zealand iron horse Sir Slick has arrived back in Queensland after cheating death for another attempt to win the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.Sir Slick will line up for his 120th start in Saturday's 1800-metre feature before his main mission in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.Late last year Sir Slick succumbed to a mystery illness with his trainer Graeme Nicholson claiming the eight-year-old was poisoned."Some mongrel tried to poison him with rat poison," Nicholso

New Zealand iron horse Sir Slick has arrived back in Queensland after cheating death for another attempt to win the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.

Sir Slick will line up for his 120th start in Saturday's 1800-metre feature before his main mission in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 22.

Late last year Sir Slick succumbed to a mystery illness with his trainer Graeme Nicholson claiming the eight-year-old was poisoned.

"Some mongrel tried to poison him with rat poison," Nicholson said.

"He was a very sick horse on Christmas Day when we found some stuff in his feed bin. It came back as rat poison.

"I'm not sure if he got any but the vet said it wouldn't take much to make him sick.

"It hurt like hell to think someone tried to poison him. It was a horrible thing."

Sir Slick was saved by Nicholson's veterinarian Graeme Waugh who recently died from a heart attack.

Nicholson paraded Sir Slick at the funeral at Te Aroha.

Sir Slick came to Queensland for the first time in May last year and finished third in his winter carnival debut to Fulmonti in the Hollindale Stakes.

It was the first of six starts in as many weeks during the winter which earned Nicholson much criticism.

Nicholson plans a similar preparation with Sir Slick who returned to his best form by winning the Group Two Awapuni Cup (2000m) on April 3.

He was subsequently placed two starts back to stablemate Time Keeper in the Group One Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie last month which took his record to 22 wins and 33 placings for prizemoney earnings in excess of $1.73 million.

"I'd like to give him a similar program. He just loves racing," Nicholson said.

"We've had our critics but to hell with them."

Time Keeper also arrived on the same flight as Sir Slick for his major winter assignment in the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Sir Slick prefers to lead in his races but was ridden off the pace at his past two starts in the Easter Handicap and when ninth to Boundless in the Group Three Hawke's Bay Cup (2200m) on April 24.

"His win in the Awapuni Cup was terrific. That was the Sir Slick of old," Nicholson said.

"He was up against two of New Zealand's best horses and he donkey-licked them.

"He then ran third to Time Keeper and he had too much weight in the Hawke's Bay Cup."

Glen Colless rode Sir Slick in five of his six runs last winter but Nicholson has brought over New Zealand rider Sam Collett for his Queensland campaign.

Collett has ridden Sir Slick at his past three starts.

Another Kiwi jockey, Mark Sweeney, will ride Time Keeper when he makes his Queensland debut in the Group Three Rough Habit Plate (2020m) at Doomben on May 15.

Time Keeper, who is in the Sir Slick mould and likes to lead, has won his past three starts.

"I'm looking forward to the Queensland Derby with him. He'll probably be better than Sir Slick next year," Nicholson said.