An encouraging fourth by Top Drop in the Up And Coming Stakes was enough to convince trainer Gerald Ryan he deserved a place in the $1 million Golden Rose.Ryan's plans for the better credentialled Hinchinbrook were thwarted when the colt missed a vital lead-up in the Starlight Stakes due to an elevated temperature.Hinchinbrook will now run against the older horses in Saturday's Concorde Stakes (1100m) while Top Drop steps up to 1400 metres in the first Group One of the season at the Rosehill mee

An encouraging fourth by Top Drop in the Up And Coming Stakes was enough to convince trainer Gerald Ryan he deserved a place in the $1 million Golden Rose.

Ryan's plans for the better credentialled Hinchinbrook were thwarted when the colt missed a vital lead-up in the Starlight Stakes due to an elevated temperature.

Hinchinbrook will now run against the older horses in Saturday's Concorde Stakes (1100m) while Top Drop steps up to 1400 metres in the first Group One of the season at the Rosehill meeting.

"He's a handy little horse and maybe was a bit below the best ones as a two-year-old," Ryan said.

"He's caught up now, he's still not very big but he's solid enough.

"Every jockey who has ridden him says he needs 1400 to 1600 metres.

"The Golden Rose was always in the plans and there's no need to change now.

"He'll be on his home track and it looks like it will be a good track so I think he can be competitive and if he draws a good barrier, who knows?"

Top Drop had a chequered run in Saturday's Up And Coming Stakes (1200m) won by Blackball at Warwick Farm.

He was held up early in the race and again late and did well to get within 2-1/4 lengths of the winner.

The David Payne-trained Masquerader and Victorian Toorak Toff were the equal $4.60 favourites on Sunday ahead of Squamosa who is unbeaten in his three starts, all on wet tracks.

Former favourite Crystal Lily ($8) remains a doubtful starter with the Golden Slipper winner to be entered for the Caulfield meeting in addition to Rosehill.

Panipique, who lowered Crystal Lily's colours in the Quezette Stakes, is at $13 ahead of Blackball ($14) and Slipper runner-up Decision Time at $17.

Decision Time started favourite in the Up And Coming and finished fifth to Blackball after racing on the inside of the track which was considered inferior.

Top Drop is among the outsiders and Ryan is looking for a jockey with his Up And Coming rider Tim Clark booked elsewhere.