Dunkel's biggest win to date came in Adelaide and the progressive gelding showed he was on track for another feature staying race in the South Australian capital with a strong win at Moonee Valley.

The Patrick Payne-trained four-year-old registered his first win since the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) earlier in the year when he outclassed his rivals in the Ladbroke It Handicap (2040m).

It was just his second start since the Derby and he took great improvement from a first-up second placing at Caulfield to score despite carrying 8kg more than runner-up Independent Road.

"The other day he came out and built into the race and he just peaked on his run probably not long after entering the straight and he just maintained that gallop to the line," jockey Billy Egan said.

"Today, even though he had a very cruisy run in behind them, he sprinter quite well and he was very good through the line and he was getting away from them.

"I certainly think an Adelaide Cup would be right up his alley."

The $300,000 Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) will be run at Morphettville on March 11.

Egan decided to have Dunkel closer than normal given his hefty impost and settled his mount behind the leader Grand Promenade, accelerating swiftly once the run appeared shortly after turning for home.

The $3.70 chance scored by 1-1/4 lengths from $2.25 favourite Independent Road, who edged out Grand Promenade ($19).

"The race worked out quite nicely, I didn't want to be giving them too much of a start with the weight and it was just a matter of getting the runs at the top of the straight," Egan said.