Had it not been for tendon injuries, trainer Tony Noonan is convinced Zevada would have been a Cups contender.

At Flemington on Saturday, the nine-year-old scored a satisfying win for his trainer and connections in his third start back from more than a year on the sidelines.

Zevada is rated by Noonan as one of the most talented gallopers he has trained but the gelding has been restricted to just 17 starts because of two tendon injuries.

Ridden by Noonan's son Jake, Zevada claimed the David Kiernan & James Miller Handicap (1700m) by a head over Prizum.

"He's without doubt probably one of the best horses I have trained," Noonan said.

"He has exceptional ability. If you asked me if he would be winning this four months ago, I would have doubted it.

"But I just like the way he stretches and puts his head out."

Noonan said it had been a lot of time and effort from a lot of people to nurture the horse back to the racetrack.