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By Ray Hickson

A stirring jump out has convinced trainer Gerald Ryan that comeback sprinter Deploy can recapture his best form when he makes a long-awaited return during the summer.

Ryan will put Deploy and stablemate Albumin, his two main summer sprint series hopefuls, on show publicly next Monday when they have their first trials this preparation.

Deploy has only had one start since he contested the inaugural Everest on the back of dual track record breaking wins but wasn’t himself running last in the Group 3 Southern Cross back in February.

The gelding has had chips removed from a joint and recovered from bone bruising and Ryan is rapt with his progress.

“He’s terrific, really good, he’s acting like a two-year-old,’’ Ryan said.

“He jumped out up the back here on Tuesday morning and it was as good as I’ve seen him go.

Deploy winning the Theo Marks Stakes in September last year

“I’m confident he will be as good as he was, especially after that jump out.’’

Deploy is due to contest a 900m trial at Rosehill on November 19 and resume in the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on December 1.

Ryan said he’ll progress to the Listed Razor Sharp (1200m) two weeks later on Villiers Day at Randwick and if he performs to his best would be put away for the autumn.

Stablemate Albumin was something of a revelation midyear as he won three straight on good tracks at Rosehill in May, June and July.

Having ticked the 1200m box the grey could earn his way to better races in the second half of the summer series.

“We’ll run him in a couple of benchmark races first then see where he ends up,’’ Ryan said.

“We’ll play it by ear but he’ll run first up on the 9th of December.

“A race like the Takeover Target might be a nice race for him if he can get one or two of those benchmark races.’’

The Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) is run on Gosford Cup Day on January 17.

Meanwhile, The Everest runner-up Trapeze Artist returns to work on Wednesday.

While many of his Everest rivals continued on to the Flemington carnival, the star four-year-old has enjoyed five weeks in the paddock.

All going well he will resume, as he did earlier in 2018, in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) on February 2.

“He lost no admirers at all, he went super in the Everest,’’ Ryan said.

“From Wednesday until his first-up run is 80 days.’’

His main aim will be to defend his Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m) titles during The Championships before a decision is made on whether he finishes his career at Royal Ascot.

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