Heavy Rosehill not ideal for Deploy in the Civic Stakes
Gerald Ryan would love to see the Rosehill track get back to a soft rating for Deploy in Saturday’s Civic Stakes, but “it simply won’t be happening”.
The Rosehill trainer has made a point of walking the track every day this week and it hasn’t improved since Wednesday, despite there being no rain out west.
“It was heavy on Wednesday morning and isn’t any better now, because of the heavy dews we have been getting. It has been like getting 5mls of rain every morning,” Ryan said.
“For Deploy I would rather see it get back to soft because with a big weight on heavy tracks you are more vulnerable when you are out in front.”
Ryan admits Deploy, an inaugural Everest runner, is probably in the easiest race he has faced in a couple of years and believes the 1350m is his best trip.
The best performance of the six-year-old's career was over this course when he smashed the Rosehill 1300m in the Theo Marks Stakes two years - 658 days - ago, which was his last win.
“He went up quick in the benchmark [ratings] with those wins back then and hasn’t really dropped since because he has raced at that top level," Ryan said.
“He has his share of weight in this race but I think the way it sets up he gets to the front and they have to beat him.
“I would really like to see him get back to winning because John and Pam Cornish have showed so much faith in him and really love him.”
Deploy carries the best winter form line after running third to Trekking and Brave Song in the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone in May before failing in the Stradbroke last time. Trekking went on to win the Stradbroke and Brave Song the Healy Stakes last week.
He has been well supported since betting opened, shortening from $11 to $7.50 in an open race where Organza is the $5 favourite in front of Firsthand ($6.50) and Seaway at $7.50.
Ryan has opted to give his apprentice James Innes jnr the ride on Deploy again and he will look to continue for a fourth win on the sprinter.
“He's really going well this prep, he found the track a bit firm in the Stradbroke but since he has come back he has been great,” Ryan said. “Jimmy knows him well and rode him well at Scone and got beaten by two very good horses that have won decent races in Brisbane since.”
Ryan also has outsider Harper’s Choice in the Civic Stakes as builds into his preparation.
“He will need the run again. We are getting up to to his trip of 2000m,” he said.
Ryan will scratch a couple of his runners because of the wet track but thinks Destiny’s Own, which hasn’t missed a place this preparation, is close to another win in the last of the day.
“It is hard to be confident given he is in the last race of the day and we don’t know what the track will be like by then,” Ryan said. “He got home late last time and if he runs up to that he will be in the finish again.”