Private Harry primed for first-up Victory
Just days after being announced as the latest recruit to Yulong Stud’s NSW roster, Private Harry (Harry Angel) will get down to the business of building his first book in the Victory Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Eagle Farm this afternoon.
Private Harry resumes after a spell at Camden and a stable transfer to Chris Waller but hasn’t missed a beat according to Darren Beadman.
“He’s a colt but isn’t heavily-built and has blended into the Rosehill environment really well with all the quality horses in the yard,” Beadman said.
“He’s suited to Chris and his style of training and has got plenty to offer. He’s fit and healthy so it’s full steam ahead. He was full of himself before his first trial at Warwick Farm a month ago but trimmed up nicely to win a Canterbury trial three weeks ago.”
He clocked 53.35s for 900 metres under James McDonald and Waller sent him back to Canterbury for a 1000-metre exhibition gallop under regular jockey Ash Morgan last week.
Private Harry moved from Newcastle to Sydney not long after Beadman arrived as Waller’s right-hand man at Rosehill. The champion jockey of his day had been an integral member of the Godolphin team for over a decade at Randwick.
The unbeaten colt was transferred after Yulong owner Zheng Yuesheng outbid some Hunter Valley heavyweights to buy a 50 per cent share from Kurrinda Bloodstock in a deal believed to value the colt at $16 million.
Private Harry had hit the ground running as a spring three-year-old, winning at Newcastle, Hawkesbury and Rosehill before another on-pace victory in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight Plate (1100m) in Queensland.
He defeated Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) in the Gold Coast slot race and then raised the bar to the elite level while maintaining his unbeaten record in last year’s The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) at Rosehill.
He stopped the clock in a sizzling 62.67s, which was only a tick outside the long-standing course record (62.51s) set by Westicaro (Westbridge) in 2007.
A lacklustre prep last spring was limited to losses in The Shorts (Gr 2, 1100m) and ATC Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) before a vet exam revealed bone bruising in his near-foreleg. It also meant an immediate withdrawal from the $20 million The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m).
Private Harry’s progress this prep indicates he’s over that setback and he goes into the Victory Stakes with dynamic first-up form highlighted in last year’s The Galaxy. He will also have a large ownership group converging on South East Queensland led by Kurrinda Bloodstock manager Sean Driver.
“There are 20 in the syndicate and we bought him at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale,” Driver recalled this week.
“Harry Angel was a first-season sire here and we were a bit cautious but went ahead and got him for $115,000.”
The owners are on a good thing with Private Harry’s bank account about to start ticking over again from $2.05 million, and their slice of the 50 per cent sale to Yulong was a windfall from the racing gods.
“Most of them are in his three-year-old half-brother Lance Corporal who won a Newcastle trial last month,” Driver added.
“His half-sister Lady Lieutenant is a two-year-old now and we’re giving her time. She’s correct, sound and coming along nicely.”
They’re both with Nathan Doyle, who trained Private Harry prior to the move down from Newcastle, and his yearling half-brother by Zousain (Zoustar) was purchased for $300,000 by Archibald Racing at the 2026 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Private Harry was bred by Rheinwood Pastoral owner Ray Willis in the NSW Southern Highlands at Mittagong.
“He’s our first Group 1 winner and we think he’s a champion,’’ Willis said after The Galaxy.
“It’s a very special moment to breed a Group 1 winner, especially a colt like him who could be anything.”
Ray’s daughter Kirsty Willis reports his dam Happy Pilgrim (Congrats) and Private Harry’s older half-sister Lucky Lily (Santos) are both back in foal off early covers to Harry Angel (Dark Angel).
Happy Pilgrim is one of 13 winners from Pilgrim (Danehill), who was a half-sister to STC Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Arkady (Myocard) and to the dam of AJC Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1000m) winner Olonana (More Than Ready).
Private Harry will be the first Group 1-winning son of World Champion Sprinter Harry Angel to stand in Australia.
“Breeders will gravitate towards his blend of speed and substance,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.
“He’s a strong, masculine, good-looking colt with some of the fastest sectionals we’ve seen in recent years.”
Harry Angel was the top-rated sprinter on the World Thoroughbred Rankings in 2017 as a top-tier winning sprinter of Haydock’s Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f) and Newmarket’s July Cup (Gr 1, 6f). His service fee at Darley has risen from $16,500 when Private Harry was conceived to $88,000 (inc GST) this year.
Meanwhile, Private Harry floated into Queensland on Thursday morning ahead of the Victory Stakes and, as always, the trainer had the final word.
“He’s been going extra well at the trials and Ash was very happy with his gallop last week,” Waller said on Friday morning.
“Private Harry will tell where he’s at first-up, how he’s feeling and where we are heading from here. Hopefully, it’s the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in two weeks.”