Leith Innes has made Waikato TImes Gold Cup day his own for the past two years and he'd love nothing more than for that run to continue on Saturday.

The South Auckland jockey has won the Cup for the past two years, aboard Annie Higgins in 2012 and on More Than Sacred last year. For good measure, he also added the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes on Diademe last year and completed a treble on the day with success aboard Sacred Star in the last.

Innes showed he was right at the top of his game at Ellerslie on Wednesday with a bag of three wins on the six-race card, among them a 4 1/2-length romp on exciting filly Vavasour to end the programme.

"She was extra good. With the rail out, the one draw helped, but she was way too good for that field," Innes said.

He will strive to keep that sort of form going at Te Rapa on Saturday, but admits his rides aren't as strong as the corresponding day last year.

"The rides probably aren't as good as last year but the two in the big races should be competitive," he said.

Innes rides the Bruce Wallace-trained Deane Martin in the Gr.3 $100,000 Waikato Times Gold Cup (2400m) and the Roger James-trained Zonza in the $100,000 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares.

"Deane Martin needed the run badly first-up but he'll be better suited up in trip as we saw in Australia [when he won the Gr.3 Colin Stephens Quality over 2400m].

"He was a little bit disappointing on the face of it but he was pretty fat and they have packed the work into him since. A bit of rain will help him and over more ground, I expect a lot of improvement from him.”

Zonza, served earlier this season by Waikato Stud sire Pins, has returned from an unsuccessful Melbourne raid in the Gr.2 Momentum Stakes (2000m) but her previous two starts for fifth in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic put her right in the reckoning.

"She was right thereabouts at Hastings and the mile is probably her best distance," Innes said of the Zabeel six-year-old.

"She'll go from this and then have her last run in the Zabeel Classic. It's a pretty even field this weekend and I expect her to be competitive."

Innes, who also rides at Tauranga on Friday and Ellerslie on Sunday, rated Zabelle as his best rides at Te Rapa.