Trainer Pat Hyland says top mare Zarita only has to reproduce her run of a year ago to win the Australian Cup.Hyland is excited about the five-year-old's chance at Flemington on Saturday after she finished a close a fourth to Niconero in the 2009 Cup."If she ran up to last year I think she would knock them off," he said on Wednesday."I don't think these horses are as good at weight-for-age as last year's field."Zarita has won twice against mares at weight-for-age, in the 2009 Stocks Stakes at Mo

Trainer Pat Hyland says top mare Zarita only has to reproduce her run of a year ago to win the Australian Cup.

Hyland is excited about the five-year-old's chance at Flemington on Saturday after she finished a close a fourth to Niconero in the 2009 Cup.

"If she ran up to last year I think she would knock them off," he said on Wednesday.

"I don't think these horses are as good at weight-for-age as last year's field."

Zarita has won twice against mares at weight-for-age, in the 2009 Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley and the Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley last start.

While she is yet to break through against the males at weight-for-age she has run some memorable races including a fourth to Maldivian in the 2008 Cox Plate.

Also that year she ran second to Weekend Hussler in the Group Two Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

"She is very good at weight-for-age without winning one those big races but this is her chance," Hyland said.

Hyland said the postponement of the Australian Cup from last week wasn't an issue for the mare.

"I can't see it as a gain and I can't see it as a hindrance," Hyland said.

"I can't get her any fitter.

"She did a bit of pace work this morning and sprinted up 600 metres on the grass which was all she needed to do."

Zarita will carry saddlecloth 13 which has been a lucky number for Hyland in the past and the same number that What A Nuisance carried when Hyland rode him to victory in the 1985 Melbourne Cup.

Jockey Dwayne Dunn said he was pleased to be back on Zarita and agreed with Hyland that she was capable of winning the Cup.

"I couldn't commit to riding her earlier this campaign because I was riding Speed Gifted but when his plans changed I was lucky enough to be back on her for this," Dunn said.

"I probably would have liked Shocking to be still out of the race, but she (Zarita) has got to be competitive.

"She is probably going better now than this time last year and her last-start win will give her confidence.

Zarita is at $16 with TAB Sportsbet while Heart Of Dreams is $6.50 favourite in an open race.

Melbourne Cup winner Shocking has recovered from a foot problem and is at $7.50, just ahead of Zipping at $8.

Dunn's other Group One ride on Saturday is Chief Of Staff in the Australian Guineas.

Dunn rode the Mark Minervini-trained gelding for the only time three starts ago when he struggled over 1200 metres in the Zeditave Stakes but he has since beaten Bawaardi in Adelaide and was a close fifth to I'm Discreet last start in the Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville.

"Obviously he's up against good horses this week but I suppose you have to have a crack at the top level with a horse like him," Dunn said.

The Guineas field will be reduced to eight with trainer Peter Moody electing to rely on his star filly Set For Fame in the feature and sending his other hope Hanks to Sydney for the Randwick Guineas on Saturday.