A midweek win at Canterbury last week prompted trainer Brian Wakefield to leave Dave The Dude in Sydney for Saturday's Stayer's Cup.The Stayer's Cup will be run over 3200m this year at Rosehill and Queenslander Dave The Dude is one of 13 horses nominated for the $100,000 race.A lack of suitable staying races in Queensland saw Wakefield look to a Canterbury 2800m Benchmark-71 last Wednesday, which the four-year-old won by two lengths.After that win Wakefield spoke to the gelding's owners and deci

A midweek win at Canterbury last week prompted trainer Brian Wakefield to leave Dave The Dude in Sydney for Saturday's Stayer's Cup.

The Stayer's Cup will be run over 3200m this year at Rosehill and Queenslander Dave The Dude is one of 13 horses nominated for the $100,000 race.

A lack of suitable staying races in Queensland saw Wakefield look to a Canterbury 2800m Benchmark-71 last Wednesday, which the four-year-old won by two lengths.

After that win Wakefield spoke to the gelding's owners and decided to remain in Sydney for another race.

"He has stayed in Sydney at Warwick Farm since he won last week and he pulled up well," Wakefield said.

"We decided there wasn't much else for him up in Queensland at the moment so the Stayer's Cup became the option.

"It was on the radar but he had to race competitively last week to warrant going on to Saturday's race."

Dave The Dude, the winner of three of his 14 starts, had always shown Wakefield that he was a horse who would race best when he got over ground.

And experienced jockey Grant Buckley, who rode Dave The Dude to his Canterbury win, will stick with him in the Stayer's Cup.

The Canterbury win was Wakefield's first in Sydney.

"I had taken Frosty down there for the Inglis Classic (in 2007) and I also took Barclays down for a couple of races going back almost two years ago but he struck a couple of wet tracks which he didn't like," the trainer said.

"I've stuck my toe in the water a couple of times before but he (Dave The Dude) was my first winner there."

Dave The Dude will need to take another big step up if he's to win the Stayer's Cup as nominations for the race include Group One winner and last-start Eagle Farm Cup victor Triple Honour, as well as the in-form Robert Smerdon-trained Black And Bent.

"I was pleased with the way he settled in behind them in a slowly-run race at Canterbury," the trainer said.

"I think it will be a more truly-run race on Saturday with a couple of good horses in there like Black And Bent, and Chris Waller also has a few in the race.

"They must be respected but the distance is going to suit my horse. He'll run the distance, it's just whether or not he's good enough to handle this class."

Dave The Dude's past two wins have come on slow tracks but Wakefield was hoping for a slightly firmer surface on Saturday.

"He gets through it but I think he's better on a track that's a bit firmer," he said.