Last year’s Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) runner-up Zacada is being aimed to replicate his autumn exploits of last year when he heads across the Tasman to compete in the A$2 million feature next month.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained six-year-old finished runner-up behind stablemate Gundown over 2200m at Ellerslie on Saturday, his last start in New Zealand before his Sydney campaign.

“He needs rain, just to slow them up a wee bit,” Baker said. “Last year he got beaten by a nose in the Sydney Cup on a very good track. 

“He is probably better suited over there on a big track like Randwick and he won’t have any weight. 

“He will probably go to Rosehill and run in a 2600m race, then into the Chairman’s (Gr.2, 2600m) and Sydney Cup.”