Talented South Australian stayer Alcopop impressed trainer Jake Stephens with a track gallop at Kembla Grange on Saturday which showed he was on target to begin his Sydney campaign in the Apollo Stakes.Stephens, who is staying on the NSW south coast with Alcopop for the Sydney autumn carnival, took the popular galloper to Kembla to work on the course proper and said the five-year-old came through with flying colours."He worked over 1200 metres in evens and started to roll from the 500 metre mark

Talented South Australian stayer Alcopop impressed trainer Jake Stephens with a track gallop at Kembla Grange on Saturday which showed he was on target to begin his Sydney campaign in the Apollo Stakes.

Stephens, who is staying on the NSW south coast with Alcopop for the Sydney autumn carnival, took the popular galloper to Kembla to work on the course proper and said the five-year-old came through with flying colours.

"He worked over 1200 metres in evens and started to roll from the 500 metre mark," Stephens said.

"It's hard to time him from the 400 metre mark at Kembla but he worked really well. Peter Wells rode him for me and he was really happy with how he went."

Alcopop rose to prominence last spring with victories in the Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m), Listed JRA Cup (2040m) and Group Two Herbert Power (2400m) in consecutive starts.

He then started favourite in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) where he finished sixth to Shocking.

Stephens decided to campaign the son of Jeune in Sydney in the autumn with the Group Two Apollo Stakes (1400m) on Saturday at Rosehill his first target, before he follows the weight for age path to the $2.25 million BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 3.

The trainer sent Alcopop by road from his South Australian base at Victor Harbour to the NSW south coast a little over a week ago and said the gelding had settled in really well to his new surroundings at Terry Robinson's stable.

"It's a nice place at Terry's and it hasn't been too hot being right on the beach," he said.

"He's eating really well and has been working nicely.

"He's nominated for the Apollo and hopefully it's all systems go into that race on Saturday.

"It doesn't look like it will be a real big field but hopefully he can get some speed on."

Alcopop is currently third favourite for The BMW with TAB Sportsbet behind 2008 Melbourne Cup winner Viewed and Shocking.

Stephens said it looked the right race for him to target given the way Alcopop won the Herbert Power over the same distance where he beat Shocking convincingly.

However, the trainer won't be surprised to see Alcopop run a slashing race first-up on Saturday.

"He looks a picture, he's very well muscled and quite defined, and he hardly broke out after his work yesterday," Stephens said.