Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou are aiming to continue their strong start to the season, with King Of Pop set to spearhead their assault on Saturday’s Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.

Fresh from their success with Skyhook in the first three-year-old feature of the spring, the stable is confident King Of Pop can make an impact first-up. The colt, winner of the Black Opal Stakes as a juvenile, hasn’t raced since finishing second to North England in April’s Kindergarten Stakes (1100m).

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou said two recent trials had him in good order, with his latest effort behind Bonita Queen over 900m at Canterbury a key piece of work given Sydney’s wet conditions. “His second trial was really good and it was good to get that sort of trial into him after they were pushed back a bit,” Alexiou said. “He has a pretty solid foundation for his first-up run now. He’s come back really well. He was a really strong two-year-old and he has needed the two trials to bring him to his peak but I’m happy with how he’s going.”

Stablemate Blitzburg had been slated to join King Of Pop in the San Domenico but won’t line up after pulling up sore from his run in the Rosebud. Alexiou confirmed he would be aimed instead at the Heritage Stakes (1100m) at the end of next month. “He pulled up pretty sore after the race. We probably won’t see him again for a little while, possibly until the Heritage (Stakes),” he said. “We’ve just got to get him right again but he’s OK.”

Another of the stable’s three-year-olds, Grand Eagle, will resume in easier company midweek but could progress to the Ming Dynasty and possibly the Golden Rose if he continues to improve. Like King Of Pop, he is by 2020 Golden Slipper winner Farnan and showed good ability with two wins to close out his juvenile campaign.

Punters can follow King Of Pop’s return in the San Domenico Stakes with odds available now via Australia’s leading betting sites.