Victoria Derby runner-up Extra Zero was safely held by seasoned weight-for-age performers in the Group One Australian Cup but is expected to improve against his own age group as he attempts to win his first major at Rosehill.Trainer David Hayes elected to step the colt up to 2000m against the older horses last start rather than take on the likes of Rock Classic, Denman, Linton and Set For Fame in the Australian Guineas (1600m) on the same day.Assistant trainer Gary Fennessy was a little disappoi

Victoria Derby runner-up Extra Zero was safely held by seasoned weight-for-age performers in the Group One Australian Cup but is expected to improve against his own age group as he attempts to win his first major at Rosehill.

Trainer David Hayes elected to step the colt up to 2000m against the older horses last start rather than take on the likes of Rock Classic, Denman, Linton and Set For Fame in the Australian Guineas (1600m) on the same day.

Assistant trainer Gary Fennessy was a little disappointed by his performance to finish ninth but expects the drop back to three-year-old company to bring him right into calculations in Saturday's $500,000 Group One.

"Coming back to his own age group is a plus for him, there's a little bit of the unknown going this (Sydney) way but he's got the class to be very competitive," Fennessy said.

"The plan was always to run in this race and head towards the (AJC) Derby. The Guineas in Victoria could have also been on the agenda but we just thought he was looking for 2000 metres so we went for the Australian Cup instead."

Hayes won the Rosehill Guineas in 2006 with $17 chance De Beers and Extra Zero is currently rated at $16 with TAB Sportsbet.

Extra Zero arrived in Sydney just over a week ago and Fennessy said he appeared to have settled in well and adapted to the clockwise way of going.

"He has worked three times on the Sydney leg on the grass and done it pretty well," he said.

The Rosehill Guineas will be Extra Zero's fifth run this preparation.

A first-up third in the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) was followed by a three-length fifth to Linton in the Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

He then stepped up in distance and won the Group Two Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield before his four-length ninth to Zipping in the Australian Cup.

"We thought his preparation was going along pretty good," Fennessy said.

"He didn't have a lot of luck early in the preparation then he won that 1800-metre race which was a pretty funny-run race where he had to take off early and wide but still won."

However, Fennessy said he was surprised Extra Zero didn't finish stronger than he did in the Australian Cup stepping up to the suitable 2000m journey.

"He looked a bit flat," he said.

"He got out of his ground then saved ground on the inside and moved through but didn't really hit the line like we thought he would do."

Fennessy says both Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic and Randwick Guineas winner Shoot Out are the horses to beat on Saturday.

Hayes is in Dubai to oversee Eagle Falls' final preparations for the Group One Golden Shaheen (1200m) to be run at Meydan on Sunday morning (AEDT).