Deploy puts wind up rivals in record romp

SYDNEY’S most improved sprinter Deploy yesterday achieved the rare feat of shattering track records in successive starts to emerge as a $10 million Everest contender.

Deploy ran his rivals ragged in the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens, leading all the way to win by four lengths.

The Gerald Ryan-trained flying machine stopped the clock at a staggering 1 min 14.92 sec, breaking a 27-year race and track record set by Alquoz (1 min 15.08 sec).

The sizzling effort came after he broke the Randwick 1200m track record of 1 min 08.06 sec, the same course and distance where The Everest will be run on October 14.

But Ryan said Deploy continues to “fly under the radar” and felt an Everest start was a long shot.

“It is up to the owner (John Cornish) but if we got asked, of course we would consider it,” Ryan said.

“The horse is just low flying. He’s a pretty quiet fella but he’s been bouncing since Randwick.

“You wouldn’t think a horse could run a record at Randwick and then back up three weeks later and do it again. But after he worked here on Tuesday, I thought he’s improved.

“He was getting along in front today, he was hightailing it and I was just hoping he wasn’t going too fast but he’s a horse who doesn’t know when to lie down. “He’s in great form.” Deploy ($2.80 favourite) was simply too fast for his ri- vals, sweeping home four lengths clear of Egg Tart ($5) with Euro Angel ($9) closing from back to run third, threequarters of a length away.

Jockey Josh Parr, who rode a Group 2 double in successive races with Deploy’s dominant effort complementing his effort on Gold Standard in the Stan Fox Stakes 35 minutes earlier, believes the Ryantrained speedster deserves his chance in The Everest.

“Throw him in the deep end and see what he has got,” Parr said.

“You never know where they’ll end up with him and you never know what (The Everest) field will look like.

“He is in fantastic form at the moment and the stable has him absolutely flying.”

Egg Tart’s six-race winning streak came to an end yesterday but her comeback effort pleased her rider, Kerrin McEvoy.

“The leader was up and rolling and we were back off it,” McEvoy said.

“Mathematically, we couldn’t make up the ground but she’s given me a good feel well short of her best trip.”

Euro Angel followed Egg Tart home and was closing late on the runner-up.

“She was terrific, she’s a different horse this preparation,” jockey Brenton Avdulla said.