Group One winner Ethiopia is on target to resume in the Makybe Diva Stakes after pleasing his trainer Pat Carey in an exhibition gallop at Sale on Thursday.

Last year's Australian Derby winner made a cameo autumn appearance in Sydney but beat just one runner home in the Group One Doncaster Mile (1600m) on an unsuitable heavy track.

Carey has confirmed he is being set for some of the spring majors.

Ethiopia finished fourth in last year's Cox Plate before coming in at the tail of the field in the Melbourne Cup after gouging his hip in the starting stalls.

The five-year-old worked with stablemate Salisbury at Sale and Carey has indicated the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 7 is his spring kick-off point.

"I'm very happy with where he's at, he's got a very good base of fitness underneath him," Carey told TVN after the gallop.

He said the gelding spelled at owner Trevor Delroy's property in Western Australia and had done sandhill and beach work before returning to the trainer's stable.

"He's come back nicely and I'm pretty happy with what he did today," Carey said.

Asked whether the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup shaped as the most suitable spring target for Ethiopia, Carey said: "I would like to see him in a Caulfield Cup.

"I think he'd be well weighted, (around) 54 kilos, he'd get a fast-run mile-and-a-half in front of him and that would probably suit him.

"But the ambition has always been to get him out to two miles (in the Melbourne Cup)."

Meanwhile, Makybe Diva's half brother Rodway finished fifth as an odds-on favourite at his first race appearance in a 1400m maiden at the Sale meeting.