Trainer Graeme Nicholson continues to be amazed with his star three-year-old Sir Time Keeper and hopes to confirm a Cox Plate mission in the spring if the colt wins the Group One Doomben Cup.However, three-year-olds have a poor record in the Doomben Cup with only Danewin in 1995 and Akhenaton in 2000 successful from 34 runners from their age group in the past 20 years.Nicholson revealed he recently knocked back a $2.5 million offer for the Stravinsky colt and has pencilled in the Doomben Cup (20

Trainer Graeme Nicholson continues to be amazed with his star three-year-old Sir Time Keeper and hopes to confirm a Cox Plate mission in the spring if the colt wins the Group One Doomben Cup.

However, three-year-olds have a poor record in the Doomben Cup with only Danewin in 1995 and Akhenaton in 2000 successful from 34 runners from their age group in the past 20 years.

Nicholson revealed he recently knocked back a $2.5 million offer for the Stravinsky colt and has pencilled in the Doomben Cup (2020m) and next month's Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm as his main winter goals.

"I may have to give him another run before the Derby because he's such a great eater," Nicholson said.

"He eats like an elephant. He's huge and it's nothing for him to eat a 20-litre feed bin every night."

Sir Time Keeper has won five of his 26 starts including his latest against his own age over 2000 metres at Te Rapa on May 1.

The offer to buy Sir Time Keeper came from a mystery Queenslander who has asked to inspect him on Doomben Cup day.

"I had an offer of $2.5 million dollars from a bloke in Queensland to buy him after he won the (Group One) Easter Handicap back home and he said he'd have a look at him on Doomben Cup day but he's not for sale," Nicholson said.

"I shudder to think what this horse is going to do as a four-year-old so I'm going to take him home after his winter campaign and get him ready for the Cox Plate.

"I'm also considering the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups with him."

Nicholson will also saddle up veteran Sir Slick in the Doomben Cup but believes the rising nine-year-old will struggle to beat his younger stablemate following the barrier draw on Wednesday.

"Barrier two is great for (Sir) Time Keeper but Sir Slick will have a job to do from 13," he said.

"They worked together at the Gold Coast on Tuesday and (Sir) Time Keeper just beat Sir Slick."

Sir Time Keeper, who races as Time Keeper in New Zealand, showed he was a real warrior when he won the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie last month.

"He pulled a shoe and pricked his foot on the morning of the race. He was lame but we managed to put a plate over the hole in his foot and kept walking him," Nicholson said.

"Eventually he just walked it out and later won the race."

Like Sir Slick, who is coming off a last-start fifth to Metal Bender in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast, Sir Time Keeper likes to lead in his races.

"I don't think Sir Slick is capable of getting out in front of him," Nicholson said.

The battle for the lead has been thrown into further confusion with trainer Gai Waterhouse expecting Gold Water to lead the Doomben Cup.

Waterhouse, whose only Doomben Cup win was with Juggler in 1996, is confident Gold Water can end her lean trot in Queensland.

Gold Water was ridden by Shane Scriven when a courageous third in the Hollindale Stakes (1800m) but stable jockey Nash Rawiller will be aboard for her Doomben Cup assignment.

The four-year-old daughter of Choisir has been racing consistently and was runner-up at her three previous starts, in the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1600m) and Listed Doncaster Prelude (1600m) at Randwick and Group One Coolmore Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

"She's got two horses on the outside of her but she's very versatile and I can't see anything leading her," Waterhouse said.