Exciting colt Private Harry has risen to every challenge so far in his short career and trainer Nathan Doyle is ready to unleash the unbeaten three-year-old in his first Group 1 test in The Galaxy at Rosehill.
Private Harry has won all four of his starts and is the early favourite to continue his rise in Saturday’s 1100m feature under handicap conditions.
Doyle, who will be chasing his first Group 1 win as a trainer, has aimed Private Harry at The Galaxy since the colt’s last-start victory in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate (1100m) slot race at the Sunshine Coast in early January.
The trainer said Private Harry had had a trouble-free build-up since that victory, with his preparation including two barrier trial wins, at Rosehill and on his home track at Newcastle, to have him forward and “good to go” in The Galaxy.
“He didn’t have long off, just 10 days,” Doyle said.
“He held a little bit of residual fitness so he’ll be going to the race more forward than a horse that’s normally first-up.
“You can’t go in underdone, you’ve got to be primed and ready to go.
“At the same time, a few of them will be first-up and the second favourite (Briasa) is likely to be first-up as well.
“So he’s probably meeting them on level pegs a bit there, and we’re really happy with the horse.”
Private Harry powered away to defeat last year’s Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot by 2-1/2-lengths in the Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate, with Arabian Summer third, in what was a huge thrill for Doyle in the inaugural running of that $3 million race.
“You’d love to bottle that feeling up, it was absolutely brilliant,” Doyle said.
“And I think the best thing is the form lines have held up around him, they’ve been quite strong out of that Sunlight as well.
“Even when you go back to Hawkesbury, he won by seven lengths and the horse that ran second that day has run second in a Group 2.”
Doyle was pleased with Private Harry’s gallop on Saturday morning and said the colt was due to have one more decent gallop on Tuesday to be ready for The Galaxy.
Doyle believes The Galaxy is the right race for the promising sprinter’s first Group 1 test.
“You’re not to know until you really step them up,” Doyle said, in regards to what Private Harry is capable of this autumn.
“You don’t see how fast they can go at trackwork but what we see from him, he’s matured. He’s taken everything in a lot better, he’s still working nice and sharp but also relaxing well in the early stages of his gallops, everything you want to see with him.
“He’s trialled up well on two occasions. With no weight on his back we feel it’s the right race and he’ll be going to the race in terrific order.”
The Galaxy is one of five Group 1 races on Saturday’s Rosehill program along with the Golden Slipper, George Ryder Stakes, Ranvet Stakes and Rosehill Guineas.
