Trainer David Hayes will ignore the pedigree of his Flemington winner Honey's Steel Gold as he plans the future for a gelding he believes has Derby qualities.

A son of American 1200m record holder Keep The Faith, who Hayes trained to some notable victories in Australia, Honey's Steel Gold showed the benefit of two preparatory runs over 1600m to score narrowly but well in the Taj Rossi Series Final over the same trip.

"It certainly helped him today that he'd had a couple of runs over the distance," said Hayes' foreman Bruno Rouge-Serret.

"He'd only won a maiden before today but he did a very good job in it."

Honey's Steel Gold ($14) scored by a head from The Bowler ($4.20) with 1-3/4 lengths to Resistant ($7.50) in third place.

Rouge-Serret said Hayes was considering running in another 1600m two-year-old race before the end of the season before taking the rest of the winter off and returning for a possible Derby campaign in the spring.

"It's a long way off, but if everything goes right, he's the sort of colt you'd consider for that sort of race," he said.

Honey's Steel Gold also provided a topical tip - but only for those with long memories.

The gelding carried the white with brown circle colours worn by Taj Rossi, after who Saturday's race was named.

An outstanding galloper trained by Bart Cummings, Taj Rossi had a miraculous spring in 1973, winning the Cox Plate, Victoria Derby, George Adams Handicap and Sandown Guineas on successive Saturdays.