A Queen's Birthday weekend at Swan Hill races continues to paid rich dividends for trainer Stephen Theodore.

Over a few drinks, Theodore convinced the owners of Don't Get Excited to entrust the gelding to his Cranbourne stable.

And since the switch, Theodore has crafted five wins from seven starts from the five-year-old, including Saturday's brave effort at Caulfield.

Don't Get Excited, the $4.40 favourite, saw off a determined Solsay ($7) to win the National Jockeys' Trust Handicap (1200m) by a short neck.

The Darren Weir-trained Anlon ($7.50) was a half length away third.

"He's just a gem - I wish I had 25 more of him," Theodore said.

Theodore said that rather than burn Don't Get Excited through the spring carnival he adopted what he called a 20-40 approach - 20 days in the paddock and another 40 days before his next race.

"Today is exactly the 40th day from the 20th day in the paddock," Theodore said.

"You can win a race and then the wheels fall off quickly but this bloke has been solid the whole way through."

The trainer is now aiming Don't Get Excited for the $120,000 Christmas Stakes at Caulfield on Boxing Day.

"He will probably drop three to four kilos on what he had today and he will be something to beat if he can maintain everything," Theodore said.