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Trevor Cruz believes a happy and healthy Fay Fay can prove more than a match for his rivals in Saturday's Gr.1 Haunui Farm Weight-For-Age Classic at Otaki.

The Hong Kong-born Cambridge trainer has absolute faith in the former Hong Kong Derby winner despite the Falkirk seven-year-old's last-start failure in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

"Puccini and Soriano are top quality horses and they look to be the toughest to beat," Cruz said.

"We know it's a classy field but if he shows his best, he's got every chance of beating them."

A winner of six of his 23 starts in Hong Kong, Fay Fay was sent to New Zealand last year for a freshen up before a planned return to racing there.

However, just before he was due to fly back, his owners felt he would find it hard to be competitive in Hong Kong against rising younger talent and decided to leave him in New Zealand.

He joined Cruz's stable for a fresh-up win in the Gr.3 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy at Tauranga before his fruitless tilt at the Zabeel Classic.

"It's hard to compare him directly to his form in Hong Kong. The thing with him is to keep him happy and his legs in check and that's been our priority," Cruz said.

"Looking at him now, he's bright and he still wants to try. He's seven now and he's had a bit of wear and tear but I'm very happy with him going into this race. He's very well and he's back to the weight he was when he won at Tauranga.

"His work has been good and I'm looking forward to a good run. Looking back at the Zabeel Classic, strategically and tactically we could have done a few things differently that could have brought about a better result.

"The ground was probably a bit hard for him there but Otaki looks to have a bit more give than Ellerslie did, so that should suit him."

Cruz has engaged leading big-race rider Opie Bosson to ride Fay Fay on Saturday and freshened his horse and dropped him back in distance to 1600m, a trip he has won four of his previous eight starts at.

TAB bookmakers have Fay Fay on the sixth line of betting at $14, behind market leaders Soriano at $2.80 and Puccini at $3.20.

Cruz has the Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 7 penciled in as Fay Fay's next target, provided he races up to expectations on Saturday.