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By Ray Hickson

King Of Pop will get his chance to usurp stablemate Skyhook as Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou’s leading three-year-old later in the spring but the colt’s job at Rosehill on Saturday is to throw down the gauntlet.

Trainer Sterling Alexiou

Two weeks ago Skyhook returned an impressive winner of the Listed Rosebud and it’s King Of Pop’s turn to show he’s come back just as well in the Group 3 $250,000 Smithfield RSL San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou said King Of Pop, $7.50 with TAB on Friday, has had a trouble free build up and that both colts would likely clash in the Run To The Rose on September 13.

“We’ve never put them down against each other, although they ran against each other in the Slipper but King Of Pop drew the outside and the other was at the end of his preparation,’’ Alexiou said.

“We’re really happy with how he’s come up, with both his trials.

“The first trial he was nice on the line on the bit and the other day he was asked to do a bit more chasing Bonita Queen and I thought he picked up well and was good through the line.

“That has him in pretty good order fitness wise.”

Skyhook had the task of carrying 60.5kg when he resumed, King Of Pop’s burden is a tricky barrier as he’ll jump one from the outside in the field of eight.

The colt beat Savvy Hallie on debut then took out the Black Opal Stakes and he was a shade unlucky before a spell running a close second in the Kindergarten Stakes.

“Ideally we would have liked to draw inside four where we would have got a soft run early,’’ Alexiou said.

“We’ll have to make a bit of a decision, probably press forward and see how the race unfolds for him.

“He’s in really good nick and he’ll run well and will only improve on whatever he does.”

Arguably one of the most interesting horses engaged at Rosehill is former Hong Kong galloper Colourful Emperor who debuts for Ryan & Alexiou in the ClubsNSW Handicap (1200m).

The six-year-old had his first two starts in Ireland and won three races in Hong Kong but hasn’t started since May last year.

He’s owned in similar interests to High Blue Sea which is how he came to the Rosehill trainers and he's won all three barrier trials, the latest of them back on Monday.

“I can’t fault him since he came to us, he came back with a few little joint issues but the owner has been patient and given him a good break,’’ Alexiou said.

“He’s quite a sharp sort of customer, will jump and put himself right there.

“We’re still learning about him but it’s an even race, he’ll be positive and be somewhere there.

"On his work and trials he will run really well without being able to know what’s there off the bit.”

King Of Pop runs second in a Canterbury trial on August 18

Sterling Alexiou on Brosnan (race 4): “I thought it was an above average pass mark for him (first-up), he’s normally hopeless on a wet track. On a day it was hard to run on I thought he did enough, Saturday’s race looks a bit more ideal. Hopefully the drying track is in his favour and we want to see him somewhere back to his best shortly.”

On Grebeni (race 9): “He’s going well, we were happy with his trial albeit on the polytrack. He’ll go to the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle in three weeks.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting