Current Queensland Derby favourite Shootoff has been confirmed as a starter in this Saturday’s $500,000 Doomben Cup.

The three-year-old found himself as favourite for the Derby after winning the Lord Mayor’s Cup on May 7.

Despite the rumours that he would not compete in the Group 1 Doomben Cup, Shootoff’s trainer, Graeme Rogerson, was adamant he would.

“He is a definite starter in the Doomben Cup and Michael Rodd will ride him,” said Rogerson’s Sydney foreman Roger Elliott.

Elliot said that Shootoff has pulled up perfectly from his run in the Lord Mayor’s Cup at Canterbury.

“He has done really well since his last win and will go up late in the week and the plan is to bring him back home to Sydney after the race,” Elliot said.

The foreman said that this will be Shootoff’s last run before he takes on the Derby field on June 11.

“He won’t race again before the Derby and will have the three weeks off between the Doomben Cup and then,” Elliot said.

Elliot believes that Shootoff is now mentally prepared for both races.

“He’s learned how to race now while before he just thought everything was a big joke,” Elliott said.

“We changed tactics to try and make him race a bit more forward to get him on the ball and it seems to have worked.”