A well-orchestrated betting plunge came off at Randwick on Saturday when Barbed stormed home to win the Listed Heritage Stakes at just his second start.

His win was the second leg of a three-year-old stakes double for Darley trainer Peter Snowden and jockey Hugh Bowman who was filling in for the suspended Kerrin McEvoy.

Favourite Guelph won the Tea Rose Stakes while Barbed, who was backed from $14 to $5.50, beat some well-credentialled rivals in the Heritage (1100m), finishing a short neck in front of the favourite Diamond Oasis ($3.50) with Whittington ($7) a long head third.

"Kerrin was very bullish about him when he worked with Guelph a couple of weeks ago and there wasn't a struck match between them," Snowden said.

"I have always thought he had a lot of talent but he went shin sore after his first start as a two-year-old.

"I was thinking about running him at Canterbury but he is a gelding so there was nothing to lose by running him here today.

"He will go to the Roman Consul next. That's the race I've had in mind for him all along."

Barbed comes from the last crop left by 1900 Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad who served his final couple of seasons under the Darley banner after Sheikh Mohammed bought Woodlands Stud from Bob Ingham.

"Canny Lad is retired now," Darley's John Sunderland said.

"He is 26 years old now and enjoying life.

"He has been a great stallion and a great producer of fillies who have gone on to be broodmares."

Snowden said he would not commit Barbed to any Group One targets and Bowman reinforced the trainer's opinion the gelding has talent but also much to learn.

"It was set up for him today the way the race was run," he said.

"If he had to help himself, he's not ready yet."