Refreshed from a three-week holiday, Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote will take a big team to Doomben and thinks he can win an open handicap double.

Heathcote arrived home from Europe last week and was straight back into the gym.

"Lucky my horses are a bit fitter than me. Three weeks in Europe drinking beer and eating wurst can catch up quickly," Heathcote said.

"I have been back to the gym this week and I am feeling it."

Heathcote will again finish second in the Brisbane metropolitan premiership and has 87 overall winners this season which puts him third in the Queensland title race.

"I retired a lot of good horses this season and of course Buffering was hurt and missed the winter," Heathcote said.

"But it has been another good year with Buffering winning the Group One Moir Stakes in Melbourne and we have chased Tony Gollan the whole way in the Brisbane premiership."

Heathcote has eight runners at Doomben on Saturday with Riva De Lago in the Hamilton Hotel Handicap (1350m) and Jopa in the Become a Member Handicap (1050m) leading the way.

"I booked Luke Dittman to get three kilos off Riva De Lago's back, so he gets in with a handy weight," Heathcote said.

"Riva De Lago has had his share of problems and he isn't up to the good southern races any more."

"But the connections are happy we have got him back to where his three runs this spell have included a Listed win (the Glasshouse Sprint) and two other very good efforts since."

Heathcote said Riva De Lago, who won the Group Two Theo Marks Quality as a younger horse, would race on in Brisbane in coming weeks.

"We will have to use apprentices to get the weight off his back but he should be able to pick up a few more wins before he is finished," he said.

Jopa will be having his first start since finishing a good sixth to Charlie Boy in the Group Three BRC Sprint (1350) on May 9.

"He is an honest horse and always tries. When we got him everyone said he wouldn't get a centimetre past 1000 metres," Heathcote said.

"But he has toughened up with us and is a winner at 1350 metres and has been competitive in stakes company at 1400.

"Jopa will also continue to race around Brisbane. Really it is getting to the stage where the good Brisbane horses get weighted out of races here.

"Eventually you have to use apprentices which is why Brisbane is an apprentices' town, the handicapping."