The 51-year-old, who rode the Brent Stanley-trained Aoife to victory in the final race, acknowledged and praised the role in the win played by Bendigo track rider Ashley Massese, who could not be trackside following a serious medical episode early last week.

Keating declared Massese as the force behind the four-year-old mare's first-up 1400m win.

"He's been a track rider in Bendigo probably for 25 years and he rides Aoife's slow work," he said.

"He's ridden a lot of her work leading up to the win.

"I didn't even know she was back in work until three weeks ago, because I work at Brent's from 5 to 6am and then go, and he used to work her after that.

"It was only a few weeks ago I started riding her in gallops again.

"It's his win as much as anyone's and I hope he gets a smile out of it."

Aoife, who was backed in from $23 on Thursday morning to start at $8.50, notched up her third win from 22 starts.

It came on the back of a disappointing previous preparation in which the daughter of Japanese sire Maurice was placed only once in six starts.

Well poised behind the leader on the turn, she showed tremendous grit to eventually run down the frontrunner and favourite Disturbia late in proceedings.

Keating praised the mare's courage.

"She knocked up 50 or 100 out. When we straightened up, I thought I was going to put the second horse away completely by the time we got to the 100, but she was still there even though her run had ended," he said.

"But she is such a trier and just kept sticking her head out. She just wanted to win.

"Last prep, we had a lot of worries - she just didn't come back up.

"Her first-up run was brilliant and we thought she was in for a great preparation.

"This time first-up she was just that little bit better and just didn't want to give up.

"Hopefully we've got her back to where she was two preps ago."

Stanley, who was optimistic, but by no means confident pre-race, insisted he was a little surprised to see Aoife salute first-up.

"She was a little bit underdone, but obviously barrier one and the soft run helped," he said.

"She probably felt it the last 50, but she toughed it out, which was good, as she has always had more ability than what she has shown.

"Hopefully she can keep carrying that form through the prep.

"It was just good to see her bounce back and show a bit of form."

Only lightly rated, Stanley said another benchmark 58 would be the immediate goal for Aoife.

Stanley's impressive colt Celui will look to enhance his impressive first-up record, when he makes his return from a spell at Morphettville on Saturday.

The three-year-old is unbeaten in two previous first-up runs and will look to make it a perfect three from three over the 1050m distance.

A winner of three of seven career starts, Celui has not raced since finishing fourth at Moonee Valley last November, one run after competing at Group 1 level in the $2m Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on derby day.

Stanley declared the son of Toronado 'ready to go' in Adelaide following a pair of jump-out wins at Bendigo and Donald this month.

"Everything is going good with him, so he should be pretty hard to beat," he said.

"He's travelled well and he's trialled well in the lead up. We're happy with him.

"He's unbeaten first-up.

"We'll wait and see how he goes, but we're probably looking to head up to Queensland for the carnival for a couple of the sprint races up there.

"He's proven he is a good horse; he runs time and good sectionals."

The early $2.70 favourite on the TAB fixed odds market, Celui will be ridden by French jockey Mickaelle Michel.