Imported stayer St Jean will be given the chance to qualify for the spring Cups after he continued his rise through the grades with victory at Sandown on Saturday.

The Aaron Purcell-trained four-year-old made it back-to-back city wins with a 2-1/2-length success in the TVN Handicap (2400m) at his sixth Australian start.

Purcell will give the former Irish galloper a short break before preparing for a more serious preparation in the spring.

The Warrnambool-based trainer said he would nominate St Jean for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups but acknowledged the horse would need to keep raising his game to win his way to a shot at the features.

"We'll have a go at a few races in the spring. I'm not sure where he's going to end up but we'll give him a chance to see what he can do," Purcell said.

"We'll put him in (the Cups) and if it's not this year, we won't worry too much. We'll enter him in case he does find that bit extra that he needs."

St Jean, the $2.20 favourite, worked across from a wide barrier to settle fourth in the run on Saturday before building his momentum approaching the home turn.

He was in the firing line from the top of the straight and proved the superior stayer as he kept finding right to the line to defeat Sacred Flyer with three-year-old Happy As Hell another short half-head away third.