Racing: Deploy set for richest race on turf

Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign remains a $4.60 favourite for The Everest after the barrier draw. Photo / AAP

The horse is ready and the weather looks promising, now Gerald Ryan's only concern before the world's richest turf race is that he doesn't screw it all up.

Ryan has prepared Deploy for the A$10 million Everest sprint at Randwick on Saturday, eyeing the A$5.8m prize for first place as he fills the slot held by his Rosehill neighbour and friend and rival, Chris Waller whose own stable found itself without a suitable candidate.

Deploy had a solid gallop at Rosehill yesterday with Ryan excited about The Everest.

"You've got Group One winners from nearly every state in Australia," Ryan said.

"You've got the current Golden Slipper winner [She Will Reign], you've got the current Magic Millions winner [Houtzen], and I just reckon it's the best sprint race I've ever seen assembled in Australia."

She Will Reign remains a $4.60 favourite for The Everest after the barrier draw.

Five-year-old Deploy has won half of his 16 starts, crossing first in his two Group Three sprints since August setting a Randwick 1200m-record before clocking the fasted 1300 metres run at Rosehill in the Theo Marks Stakes.

"After he won the Show County, Chris Waller mentioned it to me on the Monday morning and I said 'Jeepers Chris, I don't know if he's quite good enough'," Ryan said.

History soon repeated itself when Deploy won the Theo Marks and Waller came knocking again.

"The way he worked this morning, I reckon he is at his best and he's very free in his action. He's bright and happy with himself and he looks terrific," Ryan said.

"Now I just hope I don't bugger it up between now and Saturday."

Ryan seemed unfazed by the looming rain clouds.

"It's going to be a high-pressure race and quite amazing if you did get rain. I think nearly every horse in the race except for Redkirk Warrior has wet-track form," he said.

The barrier draw fulfilled Ryan's wishes with Deploy to jump from seven of 12 after the trainer expressed a preference for a gate between four and eight. "He's a horse who's a tough horse. He's on pace, he's a grinder, loves a fight, so if he can get into the right spot then well the only reason he won't win is because he's not good enough."

"I never dreamed I'd have a horse in it, especially not this horse at that stage. Not only Australia's going to be watching, it's going to be watched worldwide, and I reckon it's a great idea."

?Royal Symphony retains Caulfield Guineas favouritism after the barrier draw and his jockey Dwayne Dunn maintains faith the colt will bounce back from his first defeat.

Dunn's wife Amanda is a part-owner of Royal Symphony and yesterday drew barrier nine for the colt in Saturday's A$2m 1600m Group One race for three-year-olds. Despite drifting slightly from $3.80 to $4, Royal Symphony remains at the head of the market.

The Everest draw

A$10m, Randwick, Saturday

1. Chautauqua (5) B. Avdulla 58.5kg
2. Vega Magic (10) C. Williams 58.5kg
3. Redzel (4) K. McEvoy 58.5kg
4. Redkirk Warrior (3) R. Bayliss 58.5kg
5. Clearly Innocent (6) H. Bowman 58.5kg
6. Deploy (7) J. Parr 58.5kg
7. Fell Swoop (8) T. Angland 58.5kg
8. Brave Smash (9) J. Spencer 58.5kg
9. English (12) B. Shinn 56.5kg
10. She Will Reign (2) C. Brown 51kg
11. Houtzen (1) J. Lloyd 51kg
12. Tulip (11) T. Clark 51kg

Emergencies: Ball Of Muscle, Takedown, Trapeze Artist, In Her Time

- AAP