Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher's first Queensland runners have given him something to remember with the promise of more to come.

Maher had the rare distinction of training a black type winner with his first Queensland starter when Srikandi took out Saturday's Listed Silk Stocking (1300m) at the Gold Coast.

He went within a half length of making it a double when Mr O'Ceirin was run down on the line by multiple Group One-winning mare Streama in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes.

Mr O'Ceirin gave Maher a NSW black type winner with his first NSW starter when he won last year's Grafton Cup.

"I've been to the horse sales on the Gold Coast but the Grafton Cup is the furthest north I'd been to race one," Maher said.

Mr O'Ceirin will push on to the Group One Doomben Cup (2020m) on May 17 and Maher is confident he will be much better for Saturday's run.

He is also looking at black type options for Srikandi,

The Queensland Guineas (1400m) on May 31 is a target and the filly could even be a late entry for the Stradbroke Hcp (1400m) on June 7.

Maher was a top moto-cross rider as a young man but switched to racing and was apprenticed to the late Peter Hayes.

He rode over the jumps but when weight beat him he worked for several years in overseas stables before taking out his trainer's licence.

Maher now runs stables at Caulfield and Warrnambool in south west Victoria.

His most famous win was with the 100-1 chance Tears I Cry in the 2007 Group One Emirates Stakes and he has become a noted trainer of stayers and jumpers.

The Maher-trained Al Garhood won the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool in 2010 and 2011 and last year he prepared Bashboy to win the Grand National Steeple and Man Of Class to win the Great Eastern Steeple at Oakbank.