Deane Martin has staked his claim for the Group One Metropolitan with a Group Three 2400-metre win in the Colin Stephen Quality at Rosehill.

New Zealand trainer Bruce Wallace has waited a long time to find another horse capable of winning an Australian Group One but may have found it in the form of Deane Martin.

The five-year-old built on the promise of his third to He's Your Man in the Kingston Town Stakes to win Saturday's Group Three Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).

It has set him up for the quick back-up into Saturday's Group One Metropolitan (2400m), a race Wallace won in 1991 with Lord Revenir.

Wallace's most recent Group One success in Sydney was 20 years ago with Kingston Bay in the Chipping Norton Stakes.

Brenton Avdulla had Deane Martin ($7) up on the pace and the gelding took the lead in the straight and held off Iggi Pop ($8.50) with Celtic Prince ($5) another half neck third.

"He had to win today to have a chance at the Metrop and he probably needs to win that to get into the Cups in Melbourne," Wallace's long-time foreman and part-owner of Deane Martin, Allan Peard, said.

"If he doesn't get in to the bigger races, there's always the Geelong Cup or the Ballarat Cup.

"But first he goes to the Metropolitan and we'll see where he's at."

Avdulla said he hoped to retain the ride for next week's Group One event.

"He went super. And he showed he's not just one-paced," Avdulla said.

"It was a tactical race and he went to another gear when I asked him at the 300 (metres).

"I'm pretty sure I'll be riding him next week as long as he pulls up well."