The Black Opal Stakes at Canberra is the likely target for last start winner Top Drop if he can triumph again at Randwick on Saturday.Trainer Gerald Ryan, who won the Black Opal with Paint in 1996, will look towards the March 7 race should Top Drop run to expectations in the Pagewood Handicap (1200m)."He's drawn a bit awkwardly and there's a couple of horses in there who have trialled all right but if he happened to win again I'll probably ease him up, maybe send him to the farm for a week, then

The Black Opal Stakes at Canberra is the likely target for last start winner Top Drop if he can triumph again at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Gerald Ryan, who won the Black Opal with Paint in 1996, will look towards the March 7 race should Top Drop run to expectations in the Pagewood Handicap (1200m).

"He's drawn a bit awkwardly and there's a couple of horses in there who have trialled all right but if he happened to win again I'll probably ease him up, maybe send him to the farm for a week, then aim him at a race like the Black Opal," Ryan said.

Top Drop, a son of Snitzel who Ryan trained to win the 2006 Oakleigh Plate, steps up in distance on Saturday following a tough win at Rosehill on January 16 over 1100m where he defeated Testarhythm and Much Much More.

Ryan said the colt continued to improve ahead of Saturday's race.

"He has trained on well from his win the other day, he's doing everything right and I'm quite happy with the horse," he said.

"He just seems to keep improving."

Ryan labelled Top Drop's last start win as courageous as he had to cover ground from a wide barrier.

"I expected him to run really well that day because he had improved a lot from his first start, but I was concerned about where he had drawn and where he would be running in the race," he said.

"As it was, he was three and four wide and after they straightened I thought to myself that if he could run third it would be a super effort. But he just kept digging deep."

Ryan was also encouraged by the report from jockey Jim Cassidy after the race, who said the two-year-old would appreciate 1400m. Cassidy will ride Top Drop again on Saturday.

"He's up to 1200 metres this time so that should suit him," the trainer added.

Lining up against Top Drop on Saturday will be the David Payne-trained Praecido.

The pair have met before with Praecido finishing fifth to Top Drop last start.

Payne said Praecido had excuses that day.

"He was a bit unlucky, he missed the break and was about three lengths last," Payne said.

"He was only beaten about the same margin so it was a good run. He's a horse who is looking for a bit further."

Three two-year-olds will be making their debut in the event, including the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Needs Further.

Needs Further is by Encosta De Lago out of the 2000 Golden Slipper runner-up Crowned Glory and won a 740m barrier trial at Randwick on January 15 by 5-3/4 lengths.

In his first barrier trial, over the same distance at Randwick on January 4, he finished

1-3/4 lengths behind Tuesday's impressive debut winner Beneteau.