King Of Pop will attempt to boost his chances of securing a Gold Coast slot when he lines up in a Rosehill trial on Tuesday.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained three-year-old is entered for the opening 1030m heat and a strong performance could see him earn a trip north for the $3 million The Sunlight (1100m) on January 10.
The Sunlight is a slot race for three-year-olds and was introduced to the Magic Millions program last year.
King Of Pop showed early promise as a two-year-old, scoring on debut at Warwick Farm in February before adding the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) in Canberra the following month.
That success earned him a start in the Group 1 Golden Slipper, where he finished 12th behind Marhoona, before backing up to finish runner-up in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.
While expectations were high heading into his spring campaign, the gelding failed to meet them across three runs and connections elected to geld him.
“He just didn’t quite come up,” Alexiou said.
“He has always been a really quiet horse, but he was racing a bit keen and not finishing off.
“He has been gelded now, so hopefully we see the King Of Pop of old.
“He has been going alright at home, and he trialled in fair time the other day.
“He will be out to have a searching trial on Tuesday and see where he’s at.”
King Of Pop finished second in a Warwick Farm 799m trial on December 8 and Tuesday’s hit-out will determine his next move.
If selected for a slot, he would line up in The Sunlight first-up.
“There has been (interest), so he will be out to do a bit, and we’ll get a line on how he’s going and make sure he warrants a trip up there and is going to be competitive,” Alexiou said.
Jay Ford is booked to ride King Of Pop in Tuesday’s trial.
Early betting interest and markets for The Sunlight can be tracked via the Australian betting sites list.