Two promising colts are set to light up the Wyong track when they debut at Thursday’s feature meeting. One of them could have the official course timekeeper a little more intrigued than usual during a Maiden Handicap. Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle.
Credit: Getty Exciting colt Private Harry steps out for the first time in a Midway Maiden over 1000m for Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle. Certainly, if this big striding three-year-old speed machine reproduces his trial form, the others will be flat-out trying to keep up. After two dominant trial wins at the provincials back in summer and early autumn, Private Harry was put away for six months.
He only reappeared at the Muswellbrook trials on October 9, winning by a head on a Soft 6 rating. But 13 days later and still on a Soft 6, he zoomed around his home track to bolt in a three-year-old trial by nearly five lengths, running a slick 55.26 secs for the 940m, far quicker than any Open class trial winner across the session.
Despite a moderate beginning and sitting well off the fence, Private Harry showed impressive mid-sectional speed to bound away and was still under a big grip through the line. His last 600m in 33.94 seconds under a hold set tongues wagging as connections strapped in for a much anticipated provincial debut.
Drawn out wide, Private Harry’s biggest danger looks to be improving Enhanced from the Gerald Ryan-Sterling Alexiou stable third-up behind a close placing at Hawkesbury. And it is that same Rosehill stable .