Tough gelding Dreams Aplenty confirmed his rating as a horse which never backs down with his win in the Listed Gold Coast Cup.

Dreams Aplenty ($5.50) defied the racing pattern of the day to lead and fight off Aqua Vite ($5) by a half head with a neck to Charlie Boy ($26) in third.

The gelding was a $26,000 buy from Magic Millions as a yearling and his win on Saturday lifted him to $387,000 in prize money which is enough to make the field in most of the winter Group One races.

But trainer John Zielke said Dreams Aplenty would have run in the Group One Stradbroke had it been at Eagle Farm.

"I love this horse," Zielke said.

"If you are going to be in a fight he is one you would like on your side.

"He never gives in and he has been like that all his career."

Jockey Tegan Harrison rode her first winner since returning in March from a broken collarbone late last year.

She missed three months of racing when the collarbone took longer than expected to heal.

"I have been riding work for John (Zielke) at the Gold Coast and he has been rewarding me for it," Harrison said.