John Cornish, the man who rebuilt Randwick, knew the day would come when he'd see the new grandstand full to capacity. He just didn't anticipate it would be the same day he was cheering home a horse in his red heart silks in a $10 million race.
Randwick will be at its best for The Everest on Saturday afternoon and Deploy, a sprinter former ATC chairman Cornish owns in partnership, will be part of the main attraction.
"I dreamed of the grandstand but I never dreamed of this [to have a runner in a $10 million race]," Cornish said. "I don't think anyone dreamed of The Everest when we were building the grandstand.
"To see it full on Saturday will be fantastic but to win the race would be amazing."
It could be argued that Deploy is the fastest horse in the country heading into The Everest.
The son of Fastnet Rock broke the 1200-metre track record, wind assisted, in the Show County Stakes to start his climb into The Everest at the beginning of the spring.
Then, as if to prove a point, he came out with another sustained show of speed in the Theo Marks Stakes to break a 27-year-old track record at 1300 metres.
"Horses just don't do that - break track records back-to-back - you are lucky to get one quick enough to win a race," Cornish said.
"We don't know if he can do it again, we are hoping, but if he runs the time he ran at Randwick the other day, there aren't many that can beat him.
"We started the spring just hoping to win a race or two, maybe get to a group 1. We knew about The Everest but we would never have been silly enough to think we would be running in it.
"But he has earned his place in the race and we go into a very even race with a good chance."
Chris Waller latched on to Deploy for his slot after his two track-record wins.
"Chris [Waller] first spoke to me after the Show County win about running in his slot for The Everest and said, 'He's a winner. That's what you need to win a race like this'. Who am I to argue?" Ryan said.
"He is a horse that has always been honest but he has just got better and better. He just has the ability to sustain his speed for longer than most and at this top level it is about pressure and I'm sure he will handle it."
Deploy has been one of the only runners to drift since the barrier draw going from a $10 chance out to $14, despite winning seven of his past nine starts since being gelded.
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