“I don’t want to run him for the sake of running him because the final is there,” Zahra said on Sunday morning after the gelding’s win at Flemington the day prior.

“I don’t want to run him and gut him and take longer to recover in the paddock.”

Saturday was the ninth run of a preparation which dates back to late last year and the third win of the campaign.

His most recent two runs, both victories, have been a month apart and at 1100 metres whereas the final is just two weeks away and at 1200 metres with the step up in trip the key factor in Zahra leaning toward a spell.

“He’s had a long campaign and 1200 metres up the straight in two weeks just smells like a little bit of disaster to me,” he said.

“His last furlong was his weakest yesterday and, in general, his last furlong is never his best so 1100 metres is probably perfect.”

Should the paddock be the horse’s next port of call, a shot at some better races might be his target upon return given the development he has shown over the past seven months.

“He keeps raising the bar,” Zahra said.

“We might be able to find something for him at the back end of the (spring) carnival.

“You’ve got a lot of tired horses by then and if he can cup in fresh and on the way up then we might aim for something there and then head into the summer.”

Bred by Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman, Zac De Boss was a $60,000 purchase out of the Valachi Downs 2019 Book 1 draft at Karaka and has now won five of his 13 starts and over A$254,000 in prizemoney.