Chris Waller's brainchild turned into an important win for rival trainer Gai Waterhouse as Pheidon pressed his Scone Cup claims at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Pheidon brushed aside fitness worries and some lacklustre trackwork to beat the Waller-trained favourite Rugged Cross in the TAB.com.au Handicap.

In what was effectively a re-run of last Saturday's washed out Hawkesbury Gold Cup, Pheidon ($7) made all the running for French jockey Thomas Huet to hold off Rugged Cross ($3.40) to win by three quarters of a length.

The veteran Monton ($9) finished third, just in front of Frespanol, a stablemate to the winner which jockey Tommy Berry claimed should have at least given Tulloch Lodge the quinella.

The Darley Crown and Hawkesbury Guineas have been rescheduled to Saturday's Rosehill meeting but there was no such consideration for the Hawkesbury Gold Cup and Waller says he protested against racing officials' inaction.

As a compromise, Wednesday's race was added to the Warwick Farm meeting and while it offered a mere fraction of the Hawkesbury purse, it served a purpose.

"They weren't going to run this race today until I said something," Waller said.

"While losing the prize money isn't good, the race needed to be reprogrammed to give horses going to Scone and Brisbane the right progression in their campaigns."

Tulloch Lodge spokesman Adrian Bott said Pheidon, first-up since finishing down the track in the Group One Kingston Town Stakes in Perth, had saved his best for raceday.

"To win on a heavy track at his first run for almost six months speaks volumes for his ability," Bott said.

Pheidon and Rugged Cross are set to clash again on Friday week in the $200,000 Scone Cup and Frespanol could join them.

Frespanol lunged at the gate and didn't have time to regain his balance before missing the start, according to Berry.

"I was very surprised the starter let them go when he did," Berry said.

"If my horse jumps he wins, or at least runs second."

Maurus is starting to deliver on the promise his trainer David Vandyke has always thought he had, rallying to win the TAB Place Multi Handicap after looking beaten.

Bred in the northern hemisphere, Maurus' first campaign resulted in a provincial win last year without scaling the heights expected after being entered for the Melbourne Cup.

"We always thought he was going to be a stayer but being a European horse he needed more time," Vandyke said.