Former New Zealander Travolta has fuelled Sydney Cup ambitions with a return to winning form at Canterbury.

The four-year-old won his first Australian start at Rosehill but disappointed at the same track three weeks ago when he beat just one runner home.

Punters forgave him, backing him from $4.60 to $3.30 to win Saturday's 1900m Benchmark 80 and, although he gave them and trainer Gai Waterhouse a couple of anxious moments, he duly beat Marden ($5.50) by a long neck.

Around the 700m mark, Fortunefivehundred ($9) took off and put a gap on the field and looked as if he might have stolen the race but he was a target for the swoopers and eventually finished fifth.

"He was wobbling about when the other horse took off," Waterhouse said.

"I wasn't sure he was handling it.

"But in the end it was a stylish win.

"He is exactly what I look for in a Sydney Cup horse and that is a race we will be looking at.

"I haven't set a program for him but we will work out how to get him there."

Travolta's rider Tommy Berry was the less concerned than the onlookers when Fortunefivehundred made his move.

"He was much better when he had something to chase," he said.

"He hung in a bit towards the end and still has a bit to learn."

Waterhouse is a fan of New Zealand distance horses and Travolta, an unlucky sixth in the NZ Derby in March, ticks all the boxes.

"He is a natural staying horse," she said.

"He's typical of the New Zealand free-running types and ideal for staying races here."

The Sydney Cup (3200m) is not until the last Saturday in April but Waterhouse said Travolta would only have a short break if he had one at all.