The Harry fairytale reached the top step with three-year-old colt Private Harry brilliant in the Group I Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill and looking forward to even more.
THE STORY
Private Harry was a $115,000 yearling buy for his trainer Nathan Doyle and Kurrinda Bloodstock, who race him with partners, from breeders Rheinwood Pastoral at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2023.
He made his debut five months ago in a Newcastle Maiden, winning easily and kept winning, to a Benchmark 64 at Hawkesbury, on to a Benchmark 72 at Rosehill then into the inaugural $1million Magic Millions slot race – The Sunlight. Winning again.
It saw him head to the Galaxy as favourite, looking for five wins from five starts in essentially his first racing campaign as a three-year-old against older horses.
His trainer had never won a Group One. Nor his jockey Ash Morgan.
THE RACE
Butler gave his mount the perfect run, one off the fence tracking leader Front Page.
He loomed strongly in the straight and always looked the winner however the fight from Front Page (Magnus) was admirable, going down by three quarters of a length with Uncommon James (Cable Bay) third.
THE QUOTES
Nathan Doyle
“I dreamt of this as a kid, all I wanted to do was train horses. The Group 1, Ash, the staff, Kurrinda, thanks so much. I can't stop shaking.”
“We are still at the stables at 9 o'clock at night just to check in that he's OK. You just don't want anything to go wrong. You get these opportunities with these horses, and they're once in a lifetime. I'm just glad it's all panned out. They said we were only scratching the surface with him, and we still are.”
“It's his fifth race start. I've done all the work with him at home, and even when I got him down here, it looked like a run short to me. He's still carrying a bit of condition, there's a bit of improvement left to come.”
“I think that's where he breaks their hearts. He just can eyeball up in front on a hot speed and just boot off it, and they just can't chase him.”
Ash Morgan
“Amazing –I was a bit cautious out the gates…but when they open, he's so good, he's such a free roll and a quick horse, and when Eagle Nest crossed and I said come back, he was finally relaxed and good, and when I straightened up, he sees that straight and he just grabs and goes, you know, and the scary thing is he will improve for it.”
“When I was in England, it was pressure getting rides, and putting fuel in the car to get to the races, so this is an enjoyable pressure.”
THE BREEDING
Bred and sold by Southern Highlands based nursery Rheinwood Pastoral, Private Harry is the third winner from four to race from Happy Pilgrim, a half-sister to stakes-placed duo Paredo and Snipzu, the dam of Group I placed Don Corleone and The Drinks Cart. The family has also produced Group I winner Arkady and Group winners Olonana and Paris Petard.
Rheinwood Pastoral sold an Anders colt at Inglis Classic last year from Happy Pilgrim that was also bought by Kurrinda Bloodstock / Doyle Racing for $100,000, subsequently named Lance Corporal.
And to the surprise of nobody – Kurrinda and Doyle signed for this year’s Captivant half-sister at Inglis Classic. Paying $220,000 from Rheinwood.
Happy Pilgrim produced a colt foal by Zousain last year and went back to Harry Angel.
Private Harry is the second G1 winner for Harry Angel, who has a strong southern hemisphere record, and is having a particularly strong 2025 spring with Tom Kitten winning the Group I All Star Mile and highly rated three-year-old son Angel Capital being acquired by Yulong after his win in the Group II Autumn Stakes.
THE FUTURE
Private Harry heads to the TJ Smith on April 5 and as the current second favourite for this year $20million Everest behind Ka Ying Rising will be in prime position for slot negotiations heading in to spring.
