Trainer Chris Waller brought his Sydney autumn carnival form to Queensland but the spring looms as an even bigger stage following Metal Bender's win in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.Metal Bender caused an upset when he toppled Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Road To Rock by 1-1/4 lengths in the 1800-metre feature.The Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water filled the minor placing a further short head away.Waller was concerned at the start of the week when the Gold Coast tr

Trainer Chris Waller brought his Sydney autumn carnival form to Queensland but the spring looms as an even bigger stage following Metal Bender's win in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast.

Metal Bender caused an upset when he toppled Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Road To Rock by 1-1/4 lengths in the 1800-metre feature.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water filled the minor placing a further short head away.

Waller was concerned at the start of the week when the Gold Coast track was rated heavy but his confidence soared following a track upgrade to slow.

"He's a very good horse and Hughie Bowman rode him well," Waller said.

"I'm very fortunate to be able to train him and he'll run in the Doomben Cup next.

"It's very good prizemoney here in the winter but after the Doomben Cup he'll have a break and we'll look at the big spring races in Melbourne."

Waller was always confident the son of Danasinga would improve in Queensland despite failing at his previous two starts in the Group One TJ Smith (1200m) and Group One All-Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.

"Those races were too short for him and he was always looking for longer," he said.

Bowman will stay with Metal Bender in the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) in a fortnight after replacing suspended rider Damien Oliver.

"I was lucky to pick up the ride when Damien (Oliver) was suspended and I'm staying on for the Doomben Cup," Bowman said.

Metal Bender was trained early in his career by the late Jack Denman and was having only his third start for Waller on Saturday.

Waller enjoyed Group One success during the Sydney autumn carnival with Danleigh in the George Ryder Stakes and Rangirangdoo in the Doncaster Mile.

Despite his defeat, jockey Stathi Katsidis and trainer Anthony Cummings were confident Road To Rock can get his revenge on Metal Bender in the Doomben Cup.

"It was a great run but he was caught in a section of the track which was really chopped up," Katsidis said.

"He raced like he's looking for further and the Doomben Cup will be right up his alley."

Cummings believes Road To Rock, who is set to begin a stud career after the Doomben Cup, may have had his mind on other things while standing in the barriers.

"Stathi said there was a mare next to him in the barriers which seemed to grab his attention," Cummings said.

"Even so he ran well and got caught on the inside of the track which was quite wet.

"He didn't seem too comfortable in the going and he got a bit further back than I expected.

"He'll still run in the Doomben Cup and he's entitled to be still one of the favourites."

Cummings, who is enjoying a career-best season with five Group One wins, had no regrets about sending Road To Rock to Queensland for the winter instead of a trip to Singapore for the $US2 million Singapore International Cup.