There were times when Gold Coast trainer Kelly Doughty thought Black Cash would lose his battle for life.

The four-year-old completed a remarkable comeback from a near-death experience when he won Wednesday's Sky Racing Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm.

Black Cash was being prepared for a winter carnival campaign last year when he was struck down by cellulitis, an inflammation of the tissue often caused by a bacterial infection.

"Originally it started off as just an abscess in his off hind hoof which is normally not a problem but then cellulitis got into that area because it attacks the weakest part of their body," Doughty said.

"Then it travelled to his front leg which went into his tendon bursa under the shoulder and he wasn't able to walk for months."

Black Cash made regular trips from Doughty's Gold Coast stable to the University of Queensland campus at Gatton for intensive treatment but his condition deteriorated.

"He nearly died. It was touch and go," Doughty said.

"Literally every day we didn't know if he would survive and this went on for a good four months."

None of the medication used to treat Black Cash worked and the medical bills were piling up.

"Some of the medication cost five hundred dollars a dose and he was being treated three times a day," Doughty said.

"We had him fairly heavily medicated with painkillers which weren't even helping him and the only thing that kept him going during that time was that he kept eating."

Despite the grim outlook, Doughty persevered and Black Cash gradually began to improve.

"The last antibiotic that we used was the last resort and whereas all the others we tried hadn't worked this one actually did the job and he eventually pulled through," she said.

"To see him come back today and win after such a long illness was terrific."

Now that Black Cash has rediscovered winning form Doughty is hoping the gelding can progress to Saturday company.

AAP TURF