French import Pornichet is favourite to give trainer Gai Waterhouse her first Doomben Cup win for almost 20 years, displacing Hollindale Stakes winner Leebaz.

Pornichet was forced to take a different path to Saturday's Group One race after missing a start as an emergency in the Hollindale, the traditional Doomben Cup lead-up.

Leebaz, trained by the Hawkes team, was the only reserve to gain a Hollindale start with Pornichet and the Robert Heathcote-trained Hopfgarten re-routed to Saturday's Toowoomba Cup in which they finished first and third.

Waterhouse won the 1996 Doomben Cup with grand campaigner Juggler but her best result since has been second with Gold Water in 2010 when the race was won by Metal Bender.

One of Pornichet's main challengers, Sir Moments, has been ruled out of the Doomben feature with a leg injury suffered on the water walker.

The Steven O'Dea trained-Sir Moments had been the third favourite at $7 with Gypsy Diamond and Silent Achiever now occupying that line at $5.50.

Tim Bell rode Pornichet at Toowoomba, replacing Blake Shinn who was at Morphettville in Adelaide to partner Fenway to second in the Australasian Oaks.

Shinn is back aboard at Doomben and will also ride Pornichet's stablemates Sempre Libera in the Group Two Champagne Classic (1200m) and Bohemian Lily in the Listed Princess Stakes (2000m).

The jockey won last year's Doomben Cup on Streama just a few days before the sudden death of the mare's trainer and Shinn's mentor, Guy Walter.

Leebaz finished second to Streama in 2014 after winning the Hawkesbury Cup.

Despite those credentials, under the conditions of the Hollindale, he did not have enough prize money to gain a start. The benchmark system is used in NSW to decide the ballot order for weight-for-age races.

Chris Waller, who has won the Cup twice with Metal Bender and Beaten Up in 2013, has five entries - Foreteller, Hawkspur, I'm Imposing, Moriarty, and Weary.