A new strategy is expected to help racing's wild child Charlie Cat overcome his latest bad habit.

Charlie Cat has untapped potential and was sold for a large sum to Hong Kong interests after winning three races in a row last year.

However, he had only one start in Hong Kong for a well beaten 10th at Sha Tin.

Charlie Cat developed an aversion to entering the barriers and his trainer John Moore decided to send him to Bryan Guy on the Gold Coast.

Guy has worked hard with Charlie Cat which won a trial in early September but then in his two race starts back has developed a new trick which his trainer hopes he has solved ahead of Doomben on Saturday.

At his first for Guy he missed the start six lengths and finished fourth beaten 3-3/4 lengths.

Charlie Cat then jibbed at the start again, missing it by two lengths before finishing quickly to be a half-length second behind promising Desert General.

"We have got him going into the barriers and all we need now is for him to come out of them with the rest of the field," Guy said.

"Paul (his jockey Hammersley) suggested we ask for a barrier attendant to be in with him but just to pat him when he moves about. The new tactics will hopefully settle him down.

"Put it this way if he jumps with them he will be very hard to beat."