Con Karakatsanis opted for a Tuesday barrier trial as a crucial tune-up for News Alert heading into Saturday's Group Three Liverpool City Cup.The Liverpool City Cup (1300m) carries an exemption into the Group One Doncaster Mile next month but News Alert won't be headed that way even if he wins at Warwick Farm.The talented sprinter is being aimed at the Group One Galaxy (1100m) in Sydney before a trip to Brisbane where the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) is among his targets.News Alert won his 1030m

Con Karakatsanis opted for a Tuesday barrier trial as a crucial tune-up for News Alert heading into Saturday's Group Three Liverpool City Cup.

The Liverpool City Cup (1300m) carries an exemption into the Group One Doncaster Mile next month but News Alert won't be headed that way even if he wins at Warwick Farm.

The talented sprinter is being aimed at the Group One Galaxy (1100m) in Sydney before a trip to Brisbane where the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) is among his targets.

News Alert won his 1030m barrier trial at Rosehill by 1-1/4-lengths on Tuesday, two and a half weeks after resuming from a spell in the Southern Cross Stakes at Randwick.

"The three weeks between runs was the reason for his trial, just to spark him up," Karakatsanis said.

"He's done well and I couldn't be happier with him."

News Alert came up with barrier six in a near-capacity 17-horse field for the Liverpool City Cup with Nash Rawiller to ride.

The son of Danehill Dancer resumed from a long absence when finishing seventh in the Group Three Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) on February 12.

"His run was super," the trainer said.

"He had a really tough run from the alley (barrier nine of nine) and just knocked up."

The six-year-old gelding was fighting for his life last winter when he was struck down with a severe stomach infection and the Randwick race last month was his first start since his seventh in the Doomben 10,000 last May.

Karakatsanis plans to head back to Queensland for another crack at the winter features.

"He'll run in the Galaxy here and then go up to Queensland," he said.

"If he's going well enough we'll aim for the Stradbroke."

Karakatsanis is already targeting stablemate Black Piranha at a third Stradbroke Handicap after the gelding won the 1400m feature at Eagle Farm the past two years.

Black Piranha is still about five weeks away from trialling after he ventured to Perth after the Melbourne spring carnival for unplaced runs in the Group One Railway Stakes and Kingston Town Stakes.

"He's been back in about a month," Karakatsanis said.

"He lost a fair bit of condition on the way back from Perth (in early December) and looked awful, he looked tired.

"We gave him probably two months in the paddock and he put about 40 kilograms on which is great.

"He's just starting to get fit and feel really good."