Veteran Steel Zip will break his usual racing pattern and back up at Doomben after pulling up well from an unplaced run in the Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba.

Trainer Pat Duff usually likes to space Steel Zip's runs to help the veteran grey recover from hard runs.

But he said he had been surprised how well Steel Zip had been after last Saturday's Weetwood in which he was eighth behind dead-heaters Col'N' Lil and Jumbo Prince.

It encouraged Duff to accept with Steel Zip in the Sky Racing Central Open Hcp (1350m) on Saturday.

"He made up an enormous amount of ground after being forced back through the field to be only about four-and-half lengths away at the finish," Duff said.

"I think if you have a close look, his is one of the better runs of the race. But when you get back in the field at Toowoomba you really need luck."

"That didn't happen for him and he never really got into the race. So he really wasn't knocked about in the run."

Duff said in hindsight the 1200m of the Weetwood might have been a shade short for Steel Zip.

"He is nine years old and some of the younger ones ran him along. But he bounced off the float when we got home and looks to have taken no harm," Duff said.

Steel Zip has a great record at the Doomben 1350m having won five times at the trip.

"It seems to be his best distance these days. There isn't a great deal coming up for him in the coming weeks so unless there is a dramatic change he might as well go around on Saturday," Duff said.