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It will be D-day for Stay Inside when he heads to Kembla Grange for his second-up run.

Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside faces his moment of truth in The Run To The Rose after a first-up performance that left co-trainer Michael Freedman with more questions than answers. 

While the colt didn't run poorly, he also didn't show the explosiveness he possessed as a juvenile when finishing an even fifth to In The Congo in the San Domenico Stakes last month. 

On reflection, Freedman says there was merit in the performance, but he concedes the three-year-old needs to up his game when he takes on boom Godolphin colt Anamoe and fellow Group One winners Captivant and Converge in what is shaping as a cracking edition of the Golden Rose lead-up. 

"It was a run where you went away wondering where you were at a little bit," Freedman said. 

"But looking at some of the sectionals he did run and being first-up for five months with 58-1/2 kilos, there were legitimate reasons to say, 'OK, we can hopefully see improvement out of that'. 

"And in fairness, we will need to see that improvement. 

"Barring bad luck, Saturday will tell us exactly where we are at." 

With Tommy Berry sidelined through suspension, Kerrin Mcevoy will be the new rider for the Golden Slipper winner. 

McEvoy had the opportunity to test the colt in a gallop on Tuesday and both jockey and trainer were rapt with Stay Inside's work. 

"Terrific. He worked really well on Tuesday with Kerrin in the saddle and he was very happy with him," Freedman said. 

"Physically, the horse is in really good order, so we'll go in there all guns blazing." 

Chris Waller-trained pair Shaquero and Ranch Hand are early scratchings from The Run To The Rose and both will instead head to Melbourne for the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m).