After a luckless early spring Happy Trails heads for the paddock with a Mackinnon Stakes win under the belt.

The South Australian-trained galloper scored a fighting victory denying Joao Moreira treble on $6 favourite He's Your Man.

Ridden by Damien Oliver, Happy Trails ($7) scored by a short-half-head from He's Your Man with Farraaj ($12) 3/4 len away third.

Trainer Paul Beshara said Happy Trails would head for a spell before being prepared for a tilt at The Championships in Sydney, concentrating on the Doncaster Handicap and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Beshara described Happy Trails as the best weight-for-age horse in Australia and said, but for some bad luck, he should have a couple of more Group One victories to his name.

"He's won his three Group One's in photos and he's lost a couple of Group One's in photos too," Beshara said.

"That's the second Group One for Ollie and he should have had a couple of Cox Plates in there as well, but a lot of races are should have's."

Oliver said He's Your Man gave a huge kick in the straight after giving him a good cart up into the straight.

"Fortunately he got the bob in," said Oliver.

"You can't let Joao take all that money back to Hong Kong.

"We had to keep some here."

Moreira said he was forced to cover ground after initially having a good position aboard He's Your Man.

"He was forced three deep but the way he's run his race after that was amazing," Moreira said.

Trainer Roger Varian said the barrier had beaten Farraaj.

The gelding could head to Hong Kong in December and Varian said he would continue on the international trail next year.