Gerald Ryan is convinced Top Drop doesn't handle wet tracks but needs to kick-start the colt's preparation at Canterbury to keep the Golden Rose option alive.Top Drop was scratched from The Rosebud Quality (1200m) on July 31 because of a heavy surface but Ryan said the three-year-old was now at the stage where he needed to run in Wednesday's TJ's Champagne Bar Handicap (1250m) despite having to contend with a likely heavy track."At this stage he has to run otherwise you get behind," Ryan said."I
Gerald Ryan is convinced Top Drop doesn't handle wet tracks but needs to kick-start the colt's preparation at Canterbury to keep the Golden Rose option alive.
Top Drop was scratched from The Rosebud Quality (1200m) on July 31 because of a heavy surface but Ryan said the three-year-old was now at the stage where he needed to run in Wednesday's TJ's Champagne Bar Handicap (1250m) despite having to contend with a likely heavy track.
"At this stage he has to run otherwise you get behind," Ryan said.
"If you scratch and wait for next week it will probably be heavy again."
Ryan confirmed a start in the $1 million Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on August 28 was still on the cards for Top Drop, the winner of one of his four starts as a two-year-old.
The trainer also has highly-rated colt Hinchinbrook, who will begin his preparation in Saturday's Starlight Stakes (1100m), headed towards the Golden Rose.
"It (the Golden Rose) is not out of the question, if he runs well tomorrow his next start would be in the Golden Rose," Ryan said of Top Drop.
Top Drop was spelled after he finished fifth in the Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra on March 7, won by subsequent Golden Slipper runner-up Decision Time.
Ryan has been pleased with the progress Top Drop has made heading into his three-year-old spring campaign but said the weather was his biggest worry.
"He's come back good, he's bigger and stronger but he just can't handle wet tracks," the trainer said.
The son of Snitzel's only win last preparation was in an 1100m 2YO Handicap on a dead track at Rosehill in January but the form around him in all four runs has stood up.
"In his first start it was a good track but it was actually pouring rain during that race," Ryan said.
"He came back in his next start on a dead track and won, then he sat outside the leader in his third start and (subsequent Champagne Stakes winner) Skilled beat him at Rosehill."
The track was rated a dead (4) for the Black Opal at Canberra but rain was falling during the race and Ryan said jockey Jim Cassidy reported that Top Drop was "slipping and sliding" during the run.
Top Drop was the joint favourite for Canterbury at $3.60 with TAB Sportsbet on Tuesday along with the Allan Denham-trained Agister.