Matamata horsewoman Danica Guy has almost by accident found herself with a contender for New Zealand's richest race.

Guy scored her first black-type winner as a trainer when Gobi Ranger easily won the Group Three Eclipse Stakes (1200m) for two-year-olds at Ellerslie in Auckland on Tuesday.

The victory assures him a place in the $NZ1 million Karaka Million (1200m), for New Zealand Bloodstock sales graduates, and he won well enough to suggest he is a realistic chance to win the major prize.

Guy said it wasn't originally intended she would train the horse, one of four bought at Karaka by former Australian jockey Mick Dittman for Singapore owner Dr KC Tan.

"I got them to break in and they were happy with what I did so they just left them with me, which was great.

"I didn't think for a second I was getting any of them to train."

Gobi Ranger settled well in a slowly run race for Jason Waddell and had too many guns in the straight.

Waddell still has the option to ride the horse but he may be committed to Ruud Awakening and Guy is hopeful Sydney-based jockey James MacDonald can return to ride him.

"He rode him at his first trial and I kind of got a little bit excited after he got off and said this thing's got five more gears," she said.

Fantastic Honour ran well from last for second, after refusing to settle, ahead of Eastern Dragon and favourite Catalonia.