Australian three-year-old Zululand has run the race of his life to finish second in the inaugural running of the $3 million CECF Singapore Cup at Kranji.

The winner of last season's Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes took on older and vastly more experienced rivals on Sunday in Singapore's richest race won by American mare Parranda.

Formerly trained by David Hayes, Zululand was having his first - and last - start for Victorian trainer Jason Warren.

The son of Fastnet Rock will stay in Singapore to be trained by Michael Freedman.

The CECF Cup (1800m) holds domestic Group One status and is open to horses owned by the China Horse Club, a China-based racing and lifestyle organisation headed by Malaysian businessman Teo Ah Khing who has recently been a major buyer at Australian yearling sales.

At last month's Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast, the China Horse Club paid the second-top price of $1.05 million for another Fastnet Rock yearling and also bought the third highest-priced lot.

The group also spent up at last year's Sydney Easter sale and is planning to do the same this year.

The professed aim of the China Horse Club is to build a racing industry in China by attracting local billionaires into horse ownership.

"One of the purposes of this venture in Singapore is to give the members of the club an understanding of racing," Teo said.

Jockey Craig Newitt said Zululand had been shuffled back in the first half of the race and had "run his heart out".

"It was as good as I've ever seen him go," Newitt said.

"If he'd been able to get into the race when he needed to we would have been right in it."

Zululand went down by 2-1/4 lengths with French-trained mare Ming Zhi Cosmos third, a nose further back.