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By Brad Gray

Deploy has never let Gerald Ryan down before and despite being tasked with his toughest challenge to date, he expects the consistent sprinter to be competitive in the Listed Arrowfield Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday.

The four-year-old strung four straight wins together over the summer and after a 12 week freshen and an eye-catching Randwick barrier trial, is set for another lucrative campaign.

Deploy's recent Randwick trial - April 28

“He has freshened up and come up well. He is a pretty gross horse and did very well in his three weeks out,” Ryan said.

“It’s the hardest race he has ever ran in and it’s a good test but that’s the class of horse he is now so we have to take them on. I think he’ll measure up.

“As he has gotten older he has never trialled really well. He was three-wide on the speed and he held his own all the way to the line so we were happy.”

The son of Fastnet Rock hasn’t been beaten in four starts since being gelded but to keep that perfect record intact he’ll have to take the scalps of Nieta, Felines, Dothraki and Big Money.

“You know you’re going to get an honest run out of him,” Ryan said.

“He has four goes over 1100m and hasn’t missed a place with a win, two seconds and a third.”

James Innes Jnr has steered Deploy to victory in his last three outings and in a show of confidence from Ryan, the apprentice maintains the ride despite not being able to use his claim.

Ryan is yet to map out a winter campaign for Deploy but suggested that Grafton’s Ramornie Handicap (July 12) would be a suitable target race.

“There are a few nice races around for him but we’ll take one race at a time for now.”

One galloper that could learn a thing or two from Deploy about winning races is stablemate Star Of Monsoon who continues to be a frustration for Ryan as well as punters. The three-year-old colt will line up in the Pages Maiden Plate (1300m) at Scone on Friday having last been sighted in the Hawkesbury Guineas.

“When is his day? I don’t know. We’ve thought that a few times,” Ryan said.

“We’ve taken the blinkers off him tomorrow. He hasn’t raced in a maiden in a long time so let’s hope on a big track and a firm track that he can hit the line. It looks as though they’ll run along a bit.”

All of the form, field and replays for Scone on Saturday