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By Ray Hickson

The options trainer Gerald Ryan is considering for exciting colt Standout beyond Saturday’s Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick tell you as much about his opinion of the horse as the fact he’s running in the race at just his fifth start.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

There are serious Group 1 races in Standout’s future if he can swim in the deep end with the likes of defending champ Alizee.

“If he measures up and runs well on Saturday there's a choice of the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) or keep him mad fresh for The Galaxy (1100m),’’ Ryan said.

“Whether he’s a Group 1 horse I'll let you know that after Saturday but I do reckon he's got real ability.’’

The flashy chestnut has come a long way in quick time, winning a Gosford maiden in August then a midweek city race and the Listed Heritage Stakes in September before a gallant second in the Group 2 Roman Consul on October 12.

Ryan won the Expressway in 2018 with a three-year-old though Trapeze Artist is not a fair comparison given that colt was a lot more experienced and was already a Group 1 Golden Rose winner heading into the unofficial start of the ‘autumn’ carnival.

Standout has been given a solid grounding by Ryan for his weight-for-age test with two barrier trials and Tommy Berry takes the ride on Saturday.

“He went out early and came back in early. The plan was always to run in the Expressway first-up or the Eskimo Prince (next week),’’ he said.

“Both trials were good, he's a better horse with a sit but in both his trials with where he's drawn and the tempo he hasn't been able to do it.

“Early on he was a fierce going horse and we worked heaps on getting him to settle and finish off. He's worth a crack at it.’’

As Ryan alluded the next step for Standout is dependant on what happens in the Expressway but he’s not ruling out stepping up to 1400m in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes on February 22.

“If we weren't confident about him running 1400m you could keep him fresh and stay back to the sprint races,’’ he said.

The Group 3 $160,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) shapes as an important race for Ryan’s two-year-old Return With Honour who comes off a heavy track failure behind boom filly Cellsabeel two weeks ago.

Standout runs second in a trial at Randwick on January 23

Ryan said it was important to test the colt, who won on debut at Randwick on Boxing Day, in the wet and is hoping to have him ridden off the speed this time around.

“That was the idea of running him, I was 50-50 but I thought to run him and find out for certain,’’ he said.

“If he's going to the Golden Slipper what happens if it is wet on Slipper morning? So we'd sooner find out now than later on.

“He bounced out of it well. He did a bit of work on Saturday, his first bit of work since he raced. He'll have blinkers on and we'll ride him with a sit.’’

Return With Honour is a $101 chance in TAB’s All-in Golden Slipper market.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting