CLARK GETS ACQUAINTED WITH “HARRY” AT BROADMEADOW

NEW jockey Tim Clark will get the “feel” of Private Harry in a special track gallop at Broadmeadow tomorrow morning.

Newcastle Jockey Club gave trainer Nathan Doyle permission for the star four-year-old to work on the course proper, and Clark will be there at 6am to put him through his paces.

Clark replaces Ash Morgan (who rode four winners at today’s Dubbo Cup meeting, and also finished a close second in the feature, on top of three at Scone last Friday) after the latter was beaten on Private Harry at his first start this season in the $1m Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 20.

It was Private Harry’s first defeat; Morgan having partnered him to victory in his previous five starts, including the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens in March.

Clark takes over on Private Harry for Saturday’s $1m Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), to be run at weight-for-age at Randwick, and also the $20m The Everest (1200m) there on October 18 if he runs up to connections’ expectations at the weekend.

After being a $6 second favorite for the world’s richest race on turf before his The Shorts defeat, when he knuckled over at the start before finishing fifth to The Everest rival Joliestar, Private Harry has lost caste with bookmakers.

He is out to $17 with TAB.com.au, with Hong Kong champ Ka Ying Rising, chasing his 14^th straight win and safely ensconced in Sydney, an even more dominant favorite at $1.60.

Only two other horses - Joliestar ($8) and The Shorts runner-up Briasa ($9) – are under double figures.

Meanwhile, leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees is yet to confirm if he will have dual representation in Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick.

Changingoftheguard is a definite starter, with Melbourne jockey Ethan Brown his likely rider.

However, stablemate Adelaide River also will be entered for Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

Both stayers are currently at $11 for The Metropolitan, with Birdman, who narrowly defeated Adelaide River in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick yesterday week, heading the market at $4.50 ahead of Newcastle Gold Cup winner Soul Of Spain ($6).

Adelaide River is at $26 for the Turnbull, with champion mare Via Sistina an odds-on favorite ($1.90).

Changingoftheguard goes into The Metropolitan as a last start all the way winner of the Listed City Tatts Club Cup (2400m) at Randwick on September 6.

Lees is looking to the import to run well in again in The Metropolitan to boost his claims for the first ever $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.

The seven-year-old carried 59kg in his City Tatts Cup victory, and drops to 54.5kg on Saturday.

Changingoftheguard’s stablemate Lord Of Biscay was a beaten favorite at Rosehill yesterday, and RacingNSW reported he pulled up 1/5 lame in the off foreleg.

Lees will have his own vet inspect him tomorrow, and report back to stewards on the gelding’s condition.

Lord Of Biscay, runner-up in the Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick in April, is qualified for the $3m Big Dance (1600m) on November 4.

. Meanwhile, jockey Christian Reith will ride talented Scone mare Melody Again in the $2m The Kosciuszko (1200m) at The Everest meeting at Randwick.

Reith and the mare’s trainer Scott Singleton go back a long way – two decades to be exact.

He rode Singleton’s first winner Reginald ($11) in a Maiden Handicap (1300m) at Bathurst on May 15, 2006 when the trainer was based at Hawkesbury.

Melody Again, currently an $11 chance for The Kosciuszko, galloped between races at Scone on Friday and will trial at Newcastle on October 9 leading up to The Everest.

She hasn’t raced since winning the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at $41, with Reith aboard, at the Scone metropolitan meeting on May 17 after being near last on the home turn.

Story John Curtis, September 28, 2025