Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sourced by Sean Driver’s Kurrinda Bloodstock, Private Harry had tongues wagging the moment he stepped out at the official trials. He scored two eye-catching trial victories at the provincials back in January and March before he was put away for six months due to a minor setback. He returned with a solid fitness building hit out in a Muswellbrook trial before turning heads with a 5l trial romp on his home track, recording a slick 55.26s for the 940-metre event, far quicker than any Open class trial winner across the session.
The word about Private Harry quickly spread and as a result he was sent out a long odds-on favourite on debut in a 900-metre maiden at Newcastle. He duly saluted by 2.5l before stepping up sharply in grade to produce an even more impressive victory. Private Harry toyed with his rivals in BM64 grade at Hawkesbury, bolting in to win by over 7l with his head on his chest. A performance that had Doyle visibly shaking after the win.
The data would suggest there are very few that win at their first go out of maiden grade and almost none in that fashion.
“It’s just hard for horses to come out of a maiden and win, and to win like that!” Doyle said.
“I thought he was good and I thought he’d win comfortably by 3l but not by 7l. I don’t care what people say, it’s still a provincial race and you don’t see many horses winning provincial races by 7 legnths, do you?”
“I don’t care what people say, it’s still a provincial race and you don’t see many horses winning provincial races by 7 lengths, do you?” - Nathan Doyle
Then came the acid test at Rosehill on Saturday, a metropolitan benchmark 72 over 1200 metres. The exciting son of Harry Angel (Ire) was not only stepping up to city grade for the first time but was also tasked with handling a quickly deteriorating wet track. According to the market his main danger was dominant Randwick-Kensington Super maiden winner Theblade (Toronado {Ire}) for Hawkes racing. A good measuring stick to see where he was at.
While the margin was nowhere near as big, just over 1l, the style in which he won suggests there is much more in store for the 3-year-old. He travelled into the race under a good hold by jockey Ashley Morgan, before quickly leaving Theblade in his wake and easily holding off some the late challengers without ever looking in any danger of losing, but at the same time not looking totally comfortable on the surface.
“He’s come through the run great,” Doyle said, “I can’t fault him. He wasn’t comfortable in the going but he got the job done.
“The wheels were spinning a bit when he was asked to extend. He’s a big horse and a fast horse with a good turn of foot and a heavy track just took away his best asset.
“Ash Morgan said he wasn’t comfortable on the way to the gates but that just shows his talent and his toughness.
“We were quite pleased, he was holding them quite comfortably in the end. You have to remember the second horse was carrying 52.5kg, so he was giving away a fair bit of weight and still able to get the win. I feel he’s getting better with racing, so it’s all very promising.”
“We were quite pleased, he (Private Harry) was holding them quite comfortably in the end. I feel he’s getting better with racing, so it’s all very promising.” - Nathan Doyle
While excited for Private Harry’s future, Doyle doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. He’d rather let the horse do the talking.
“You don’t dream too much because it’s too big of a let down,” Doyle said.
“He has a good racing style, he bangs out gets on the bridle and travels – everything you want to see from a racehorse and it makes my job easy.
Nathan Doyle | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“You never know until you try them at the top grade, but he’s got all the right attributes to continue on that spiral. He’s got to take a big step next start but I think we will see where we sit then. Back to firmer tracks, I think that’s the key for him.”
All roads lead to The Sunlight
Purchased from Rheinwood Pastoral at the 2023 Inglis Classic yearling sale for just $120,000 by Kurrinda Bloodstock, Private Harry has already turned a profit for his owners, earning close to $150,000 in three starts. However, that figure could increase ten-fold should he be successful when Doyle raises the bar again next start in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight (1100 metres) at the Gold Coast on January 4.
The Sunlight is a new slot race for 3-year-olds held a week before the lucrative Magic Millions race day with Private Harry locked into the B2B Thoroughbreds slot.
Private Harry as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“All those horses heading to the Sunlight have probably all been to stakes level, but they have been pretty exposed, but he’ll bring a different form line, on an upward spiral,” Doyle said.
“It will make it quite an interesting race, with a few different angles.
“Slot owners B2B actually identified him off his trials, so they might not be bad judges themselves. They were quite interested after his trials. They knew that race would time about right and as it turns out he’s won three from three.”
“Slot owners B2B identified him (Private Harry) off his trials, so they might not be bad judges themselves. They knew that race (The Sunlight) would time about right and as it turns out he’s won three from three.” - Nathan Doyle
Every possibility to be a star
B2B Thoroughbreds owner Ricky Surace Jnr shared the story of how they secured the exciting colt for the lucrative event.
“We actually secured Private Harry not long after his debut run at Newcastle and it was in the works after his first trial this preparation,” Surace said.
Ricky Surace Jnr | Image supplied
“He was beating some really nice horses in those trials that have come out and won stakes races and he was doing it effortlessly. I understand trials and races are different but when you are doing it that easily it’s obviously showing you have a bit of quality.
“I know Sean Driver from Kurrinda Bloodstock quite well, he actually bought a horse off us in January, and we stayed in contact. I said to him, I’d love to see how Private Harry progresses and offer you a slot. That was literally a minute after he crossed the line on debut in Newcastle and we worked out a deal. Then we announced it after his second run and thankfully he’s continued to progress into a really nice horse.
“I think all his data and stats say he has every possibility to be a future star. I don’t think on Saturday we saw the real him. Obviously, he ran well, and he ran good time and was dominant but if he was on a dry track he probably wins by 4 to 6 lengths.
“He has quality written all over him.”
“I think all his (Private Harry's) data and stats say he has every possibility to be a future star. He has quality written all over him.” - Ricky Surace
Another alluring factor for B2B Thoroughbreds was the fact that Private Harry hasn’t been taxed with ‘grand finals’ throughout the spring and would be the fresh horse on the scene come January.
Surace was so impressed with Private Harry that he also took a share in the horse that was offered online straight after his debut win. Surace forked out $25,250 for a 2.5 per cent share offered on Inglis Digital, giving the Newcastle maiden winner at the time a value of $1,010,000. Remaining unbeaten, Private Harry is doing his best to repay Surace’s faith.
Private Harry is the best of three winners from four to race from Happy Pilgrim (Congrats {USA}), a half-sister to two stakes performers, Snipzu (Snippetson) and Paredo (Better Than Ready). It’s a family that traces back to G1 Ranvet S. winner Arkady (Myocard {NZ}).
Harry Angel (Ire) | Standing at Darley
His sire, Harry Angel (Ire) is the current leading third season sire, best represented by Tom Kitten, Arkansaw Kid and Angel Capital so far this season.
Harry Angel stands at Darley’s Kelvinside at a fee of $38,500 (inc GST).
