Two high class gallopers returning from tendon injuries have provided Darren Weir with a one-two finish in a stakes race at Caulfield.

Signoff, the fourth placegetter in the 2014 Melbourne Cup, upset a betting plunge on Lidari, who was having his first start for Weir in the Lord Stakes on Saturday.

Giving apprentice Harry Coffey back-to-back stakes wins after he guided Tuscan Sling in the Christmas Stakes, Signoff ($31) came from a seemingly impossible position to defeat Lidari ($19 to $15) by a neck with Metaphorical ($10) a short-head away third.

Lidari is the horse at the centre of Peter Moody’s cobalt case and was sent to Weir because of his leg issue.

Weir was surprised by Signoff’s victory although he said staff at his Warrnambool stable were upbeat about the chances of Lidari.

“They’ve had an amazing amount of miles go into their legs without a lot of gallops, so that was the little unknown,” Weir said.

“They’ve been in work for a long time and had a lot of trials.

“They’ve been ready to go for a month but we’ve been looking for the right race.”

Weir was planning a tilt at the Adelaide Cup with Signoff and said he may need to reassess plans with the eight time winner.

Signoff was having just his second start since finishing fourth to Protectionist in last year’s Melbourne Cup after injuring a tendon after running seventh at Flemington in April.

Coffey was full of admiration for Signoff and said if he can stay sound he will be in for a big autumn campaign.

“I’ve ridden him in a jump-out and that was a big thrill but to ride him on race day is even better,” he said.

Australian Cup plans are in place for Lidari who was having his first start since finishing 10th in that race for Moody in March.

“He’s a good horse at the distance range between 2000 (metres) and a mile-and-a-half,” OTI Racing’s Terry Henderson said.

“If he could go to the Australian Cup then we could think about the BMW in Sydney.”