Randwick Treble for Fastnet Rock

Champion sire Fastnet Rock was in hot form on Saturday with a Group double at Randwick courtesy of record breakers Formality (3f Fastnet rock x Jolie's Shinju, by Jolie's Halo) and Deploy (5g Fastnet Rock x Crimson Reign, by Red Ransom), while his royally bred son Comin’ Through (4h Fastnet Rock x Mica's Pride, by Bite the Bullet) indicated he’s in for a big spring with a sparkling return.

Formality started the day winning the Group II ATC Silver Shadow Stakes in the opening event on the card as already detailed and was followed later by Comin' Through and Deploy.

Prepared by Gerald Ryan, Deploy made an impressive rise through the grades last summer winning four consecutive races in Sydney. He then took the quantum leap to stakes company when winning the Group II BRC Moreton Cup at Doomben in June and showed with this latest win that he’s ready to climb to the next level.

Deploy tracked the leaders for Brenton Avdulla and surged to the line to win the 1200 metre Group III ATC Show County Quality in course record time of 1:08.06.

He scored a neck win over another up and coming sprinter in The Virginian to take his overall record to seven wins and six placings from 15 starts with prizemoney in excess of $480,000. His trainer Gerald Ryan as in awe of the record breaking performance. "It's unbelievable," Ryan said. "They are running quick times here today. He'll go into the book as holding the track record. "He's not the easiest horse to ride because he always hits a flat spot in his races. "Brenton (Avdulla) knows him and rode him well." A $450,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Torryburn Stud draft, Deploy runs for a syndicate that includes his breeder Torryburn Stud in whose colours he runs as well as Segenhoe Thoroughbreds and Stallion Racing. He is the best of four winners from Group III winning Red Ransom mare Crimson Reign, who is due to foal this spring to Pride of Dubai.

Making it a winning treble at Randwick for Fastnet Rock was talented entire stallion Comin’ Through, the half-brother to $7million earner Criterion.

The Chris Waller trained four year-old won the Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington last spring, but lost his way in the autumn when failing to win in four starts albeit placing third in the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas. He returned with a dynamic front running win over 1400 metres under 60.5 kg and looked fit, happy and ready to progress. “The wet tracks didn’t suit him in the autumn,” said Chris Waller. “He wasn’t going badly, he just couldn’t do his best and it was hard to get a line on him. “He’ll head towards the Epsom. As a half-brother to Criterion if we can win a Group I with him over a shorter distance he’ll be a very valuable sire.”