Smashing clocks to chasing glory, Harry now steps into the deep end

Unbeaten sprinter Private Harry has made a habit of running incredible times, in particular late sectionals, in his five race career, but his real test is about to start this spring.

There is no hiding after he was chosen by Yulong Investments as their Everest horse as part of a $20 million stallion deal after he won the Galaxy earlier in the year.

His inexperience nearly cost him getting a run in the Galaxy, even though he blitzed the Sunlight field at his fourth start, in the first running of the Magic Millions three-year-old slot race.

But such is the boom on the Harry Angel four-year-old that he is favourite for Saturday’s The Shorts and second pick behind Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising for the Everest.

“He has come back better than in the autumn,” jockey Ash Morgan said. “But he needed too, to be ready for the Everest. He is just stronger now.”

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle took it slowly to start with the most exciting horse he had, winning a Newcastle Super Maiden and at Hawkesbury, both times as an odds-on favourite, before Private Harry won at Rosehill.

He smashed the clock at his first two starts, on both occasions he broke 33 seconds for the final 600m, and beat Dark Glitter, last week’s Sheraco Stakes runner-up, at Hawkesbury by seven lengths.

“He hasn’t been beating nothing,” Doyle said. “In the Sunlight he had Lady Of Camelot and Arabian Summer behind him and they have both gone on to Group 1 races.”

Lady Of Camelot was runner-up in the Surround Stakes and third in the Coolmore Classic behind Everest-bound Lady Shenandoah, while Arabian Summer was within a half-length of Baraqiel in the Moir Stakes a couple of weeks ago.

So acceleration through the grades at his past two runs has been like Private Harry’s on the track, at a lightning pace.

Private Harry had the advantage at the handicap with only 53kg in the Galaxy, where he accounted for Front Page and Uncommon James, who both gave him weight, while Briasa was down the track after a torrid run where he saw more of the outside fence then in.

Doyle has great belief in his horse and is not worried about the step up to weight-for-age on the weekend. As do bookmakers who have marked him the $2.40 favourite ahead of Briasa ($3.80) and Joliestar ($5).

“Everytime he has had to step up, he has handled it, and we have had the perfect preparation into this race,” Doyle said. “This is only his second preparation, so there is still improvement to come and you will see that on Saturday.”