Former Darwin trainer Stephen Brown has shrugged off a Moonee Valley misadventure of last weekend and is hoping his hardy campaigner Canali can change his luck at Caulfield on Saturday.

Brown went to the Valley confident of success with Winter King in the open sprint, only to lose all chance when a barrier attendant accidentally opened the gates with only three horses loaded.

One of those was the favourite Winter King who jumped out and couldn't be pulled up and was scratched.

This weekend Brown is looking to Canali and Sheahan, another of the Darwin horses Brown has brought to Melbourne.

"Canali's an honest sprinter and he's paying the penalty ... always up in the weights," Brown said.

"I've got him and Winter King entered in the 1100-metre race at Caulfield, but only Canali will run."

Canali's last win was in the same race a year ago when he carried 59.5kg to beat the good sprinters Catapulted and General Truce.

His best run since then came two starts back when he finished second to Howmuchdoyouloveme in Group Two company over Saturday's course and distance.

Sheahan has raced once this time in for a disappointing 12th behind Mid Summer Music over 1300m at Sandown.

But he is a Moonee Valley 1600m winner and won back-to-back in Darwin in July this year.

Brown said Winter King had come through his solo canter at Moonee Valley well and would run at Caulfield on Saturday week.

As well as the natural disappointment of missing the chance to win a $100,000 race, Brown said he was annoyed that no official had spoken a word to him following the false start.

"I just unsaddled him, hosed him down and loaded him on the truck and went home," he said.

"There's nothing anyone could do about what happened but it would have been nice if someone had apologised."