Outstanding jumps jockey Steve Pateman gave Zed Em a perfect ride to defeat Deliberate by 15 lengths with Dormello Mo 10 lengths away in third place in the 3450-metre race.

Payne, who won last year's Grand Annual with No Song No Supper, said Zed Em would now target the $100,000 Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank on Easter Monday.

“Zed Em is a dashing jumper,” Payne said.

“I think he's tougher than last year. I really can't take much credit for his effort it all goes to his New Zealand trainer Kevin “Dummy” Myers.

“I've only had the horse here a couple of weeks. Dummy put all the foundation work into him.

“We’ll look at the Von Doussa but after that I'm not sure.

“We're open-minded what we do following the Von Doussa.

“We may go to the Brierly Steeplechase on the first day of the Warrnambool carnival.”

Pateman said Zed Em gave a faultless display in the steeplechase.

“Zed Em is an awesome jumper,” he said.

“He was well seasoned to win. He was tired in the end but he did a lot of work in the run.

“I'm sure he'll have a good season over the fences.”

Payne’s other Grand Annual victories are with Awakening Dream in 2012 while Chaparro was successful in 2014.

Meanwhile, future plans for Ciaron Maher's top mare Jameka are up in the air after the four-year-old mare pulled with track sickness following her impressive win in the $1.5 million BMW Stakes at Rosehill last Saturday.

“Jamkea has not been too well since she came home,” Maher said.

“She's been treated very aggressively to fix up the problem.

“We should have a clearer indication regarding her health within the next few days.”

Jameka’s connections were considering various overseas runs for the three-time-winning group one mare before she suffered the bout of travel sickness.