Trainer Rob Heathcote's decision to geld five-year-old Saluter proved an immediate winner at the Sunshine Coast on Friday.

Saluter did his early racing as a rig and won the Magic Millions Guineas as a three-year-old.

However, after Saluter ran four seconds in a row earlier this year, Heathcote convinced connections to have Saluter gelded.

"I told connections they had to weigh up whether he would be a commercial sire or we could geld him and have a very good horse," Heathcote said.

Saluter ($3.20) led all the way to beat stablemate and race favourite Excellantes ($2.70) by a length in the Hahn Super Dry Handicap (1200m).

Heathcote said Saluter would now probably go to the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) on January 10.

"I was proud of Excellantes today. He had to give Saluter five kilograms and he never stopped trying," Heathcote said.

A recent washed-out Ipswich meeting proved a blessing in disguise for trainer Bryan Dais when Knightwick Manor ($19) won the Corona Plate.

Dais said he thought Knightwick Manor would have been hard to beat in an Ipswich maiden but the meeting was called off.

"I had a look at the race calendar and saw this maiden worth $60,000 so I set her for it. She got beaten a lip at her first start at Eagle Farm in a two-year-old," Dais said.

Apprentice Bridget Grylls was in the action early when she won on Knightwick Manor and then protested after finishing second on More Soccer in the Hahn Premium Plate (1000m).

More Soccer was beaten 1-1/4 lengths by favourite Bearskin ($2.25) but Grylls fired in a protest alleging interference in the final 200m and at the 800m.

Stewards dismissed the protest after finding while More Soccer had trouble getting clear running in the straight they could not be satisfied it had cost him a win.

Bearskin was having his first start after a belated racing debut on Friday.