A Sydney Cup berth is starting to look a longshot for Cambridge stayer Pacorus but his odds of making the trans-Tasman trip could shorten with an emphatic win in Saturday's Drymix Cement Bay of Plenty Cup (2100m) at Tauranga.

Trainer Chris Wood had long believed the Tavistock five-year-old was an ideal prospect for the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 8.

However, the galloper has failed to improve his rating in two runs back from a summer break, leaving him in equal 28th on the order of entry for the $A2 million feature.

"He's still in the race but I'm getting behind the eight-ball and he'd need to win well on Saturday to be in the reckoning," Wood said.

"He's working well and his work was very good again this morning so we're hopeful he might be able to turn it around."

A winner of seven of his 24 starts, Pacorus made a quick ascension through the staying ranks last winter, winning five of his six starts from late June to early October.

Adept on rain-affected tracks, Pacorus would relish the current conditions in Sydney and has just 50kg for the Sydney Cup.

After finding 1500m too sharp fresh-up, Pacorus struggled to make any impression when 11th in the Nathans Memorial stepping up to 2200m at Ellerslie last start.

However, his second run over a middle distance this preparation in the Bay Of Plenty Cup should see him make a sharp improvement at a track where he was a four-length winner when last racing there last season.

Stable apprentice Viktoria Gatu retains the ride on Saturday and is able to claim a 1kg allowance.

"Viktoria knows him well. She gets on well with him and hasn't done anything wrong," Wood said.