Last year's Melbourne Cup favourite Alcopop will have a serious track gallop at Morphettville on Wednesday as trainer Jake Stephens prepares to sign off on the stayer's return to racing in Adelaide on Saturday."He's done a fair bit of beach work and he's been to Strathalbyn to gallop but it will be good to work him on the grass at Morphettville," Stephens said.Alcopop, who has been back in work since June, will be trying to restore his reputation as one of Australia's most exciting stayers after

Last year's Melbourne Cup favourite Alcopop will have a serious track gallop at Morphettville on Wednesday as trainer Jake Stephens prepares to sign off on the stayer's return to racing in Adelaide on Saturday.

"He's done a fair bit of beach work and he's been to Strathalbyn to gallop but it will be good to work him on the grass at Morphettville," Stephens said.

Alcopop, who has been back in work since June, will be trying to restore his reputation as one of Australia's most exciting stayers after an aborted autumn campaign.

He will resume at weight-for-age in the Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville and while his first-up record is impressive with two wins in three starts, Stephens isn't kidding himself about the task ahead.

"It's going to be an interesting race, for sure," he said.

"There are some good 1200-metre specialists nominated but I expect Alcopop to be running home hard, at least."

Alcopop carried the weight of rank-and-file support when he finished sixth in the 2009 Melbourne Cup - 4-1/4 lengths from the winner Shocking - after looming up at the 400-metre mark as the $4.80 favourite.

The six-year-old was then expected to be a force in the autumn in Sydney but his carnival came to a sudden halt after two below-par runs at weight-for-age.

"The good thing about pulling the pin when we did in Sydney was the extra time it gave the horse in the paddock," Stephens said.

"That really helped a lot because it seems he is a lot more relaxed and settled now."

Stephens said Alcopop was pencilled in for two Adelaide runs before continuing his build-up to the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne.

"I haven't really thought too much beyond the Penny Edition Stakes here in Adelaide but the good thing about Melbourne at this time of the year, there is always a suitable race on every week," he said.

Alcopop is rated a $21 chance with TAB Sportsbet in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

There were 18 nominations when Spring Stakes entries closed on Monday, including the 2008 Victoria Derby winner Rebel Raider.