Weir couldn't quite manage to repeat his Melbourne Cup success with Prince Of Penzance when Akzar trailed in a long last in the Ballarat Cup last weekend, a race that Weir, who trains at Ballarat, is always keen to do well in.

But he is equally keen to make his mark in the Warrnambool Cup in May, given that he has a satellite stable in the seaside town and always loves to have a winner there.

Weir has collected the past two Warrnambool Cups with Akzar (2014) and Tall Ship (2015), and he is hopeful that another European import, owned, like Tall Ship, by the OTI group, can make it a hat-trick next May.

Judging by the way he scored easily in the 2500-metre Slickpix Handicap at Moonee Valley, Master Zephyr could be just the sort of weapon he needs.

The well-backed $2.20 favourite was partnered by Dwayne Dunn as Weir's regular jockey, Brad Rawiller, could not make the 54-kilogram weight, and, as Dunn said after easing him to a four-and-a-half length win, "he had a lap on those".

Master Zephyr, who raced in England until the end of July, was used as a lead horse at Werribee for OTI's French-trained Gailo Chop, who scored in the group 1 Mackinnon Stakes during the Flemington carnival.

He broke his Australian duck at the second time of asking at a Valley Friday night meeting a fortnight ago, and scored far more impressively in Saturday's 2500-metre test.

"He's done a remarkably good job.He just seems every week to be getting a bit more mature. Today he raced like a good horse," said OTI boss Terry Henderson.

"He's only a three-year-old, this guy. He will fill out a lot over the next 12 months."

Weir said he would probably now give the horse a rest and prepare him for next year. "The Warrnambool Cup could be a nice race for him," he said.

Weir made it a race-to-race double when Kracken, partnered by Rawiller, took out the Strathmore FC Handicap. The $8 shot had been beaten at Ballarat a week earlier when the Weir yard drew a blank, but bounced back in style here.

"He's a bloody hard horse to ride, some days he jumps away, then he will over-race. Brad was very keen to get him up to a mile, and this was the only mile race available," the trainer said. "The week back-up was a little bit unknown, but he had done well during the week. It might have helped him.

"Johnny Allen [Weir's jump rider] schooled him over a few logs this morning, that might have helped him concentrate a bit too."

David Hayes was also a man in hot form. Having won the first race with Rampage, he then made it a double when Golden Mane ($5.50) scored by a length-and-a-quarter in the Ranvet Handicap in the hands of apprentice Dylan Dunn. The youngster was landing a winner on the same card as his father, something the pair have done on a number of occasions.

Robbie Griffiths' galloper Grane has an excellent record at the Valley and made it two wins and three placings from six attempts over the 1000-metre distance when he landed the City Jeep Handicap for apprentice Jye McNeill.

Another apprentice, Jessica Payne, got her name on the score chart when she led all the way to win the penultimate race of the day on John Sadler's mare Marli Magic.