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Stockman heads to Rosehill on Saturday poised to bounce back from a disappointing Gosford Cup performance.

Joe Pride has a healthy opinion of Stockman and he wants the horse to justify it at his next two runs, starting in the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill on Saturday. 

The stayer looked to be building nicely when he finished off strongly at his first two runs back over shorter journeys and Pride took him to the Listed Gosford Cup (2100m) full of confidence. 

But he walked away deflated when Stockman could finish only sixth to Polly Grey, beaten more than five lengths. 

In hindsight, the Warwick Farm trainer believes Stockman struggled to haul his big frame around the tight-turning circuit and he is expecting a return to form when the four-year-old contests the Listed Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) on the bigger expanses of Rosehill. 

"He's a massive horse and he's got a big stride on him and I just don't know that he was happy chasing around that Gosford circuit," Pride said. 

"It was a Listed race, he was up sharply in grade, and there's no margin for not performing at your best. To me, he was well below that. 

"He might not be as good as I think he is, but I'll find that out at his next couple of starts. 

"I want to see him run well on Saturday but the real test for him will be a week later, he's going to back up in the 2400 metre race at Randwick and that will be more his style of race." 

Stockman will face an army of runners from the Chris Waller stable with the premier trainer saddling five of the 16 Lord Mayors Cup starters, including last year's winner Wu Gok and in-form mare Polly Grey.

Waller has won three of the past eight editions of the race with Silverball (2015) and Moriarty (2013) also successful.