The decision to add blinkers to Deploy’s raceday gear is one that continues to reap rewards as the four-year-old aims for back-to-back stakes wins at Doomben.
The gelding won his first stakes race when he took out the Group Two Moreton Cup last Saturday week and his trainer Gerald Ryan is confident he can repeat the dosetwo weeks later in the Group Three W J Healy Stakes (1200m).
Deploy, who is raced by his breeder John Cornish of Torryburn Stud, has always shown ability but his first five starts failed to yield a win.
It wasn’t until Ryan elected to put blinkers on Deploy that the gelding really hit his straps.
The blinkers went on in March last year and Deploy’s record in eight starts since is six wins and two seconds.
“He really has been consistent of late and to go from winning a maiden at Wyong in March last year to winning a Group Two race 15 months later is a big effort,” Ryan said.
Deploy returned to Sydney after winning the Moreton Cup and headed north again on Thursday.
“There isn’t much left up in Brisbane for him after Saturday so he will come back,” Ryan said.
“We might look at the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton in July or otherwise get him ready for the spring.”
