HARRY READY TO STEP OUT FOR ROSEHILL TRIAL “POKE AROUND”

NEWCASTLE’S The Everest contender Private Harry makes his return public appearance at Rosehill Gardens on Monday morning.

The unbeaten young sprinter will contest a 900m Group trial on the course proper, scheduled for 8.50am.

Ash Morgan, who partnered the now four-year-old in all five victories last season – including a breakthrough Group 1 triumph in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill in March – hops aboard the “excitement machine” for his next important step toward the $20m The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18.

Private Harry was the first horse to gain a berth in the 2025 The Everest, courtesy of Yu Long Investments, which bought into the horse earlier in the year.

“Private Harry is going great,” Kurrinda Bloodstock principal Sean Driver said this morning.

“He is low flying, and will be out for a bit of a poke around on Monday morning.

“Private Harry’s trainer Nathan Doyle is planning to also trial the horse again, most likely at Canterbury on August 28.

“He is also looking to give him an exhibition gallop before he resumes in the $1m Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 20.”

After The Shorts, Private Harry will run a fortnight later in another $1m feature sprint, the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at the same track at the Epsom Handicap meeting on October 4.

The Shorts will be run at set weights plus penalties (Private Harry gets a 3kg penalty as a result of his Galaxy win), whilst the Premiere is at weight-for-age, as is The Everest.

Private Harry is currently a $6 second favorite for The Everest with TAB.com.au behind Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising ($1.80).

Meanwhile, Kurrinda anticipates also having a great chance to land the $2m The Kosciuszko (1200m) at The Everest meeting with Boston Rocks, who resumes at The Valley tomorrow in a Benchmark 100 Handicap (1000m).

“Boston Rocks also was an acceptor at Randwick tomorrow, but he doesn’t perform on anything worse than a ‘Soft 6’, so we’ve dodged that race,” Driver said.

“He arrived in Melbourne this morning, and Michael Dee will ride him tomorrow.

“Even though it’s a small field, we’re up against a Group 1 winner (Mornington Glory), but getting 6kg off him.

“Boston Rocks certainly deserves a spot in The Kosciuszko. He has won four metropolitan races and, apart from his stablemate Front Page, I can’t see any other likely contender with that record.”

In pre-noms Kosciuszko betting, Boston Rocks is on the third line of betting at $8.

Private Harry’s year younger stablemate Hidden Motive won his first trial this campaign when he defeated four rivals over 1000m on a heavy Gosford track yesterday.

“Hidden Motive sat second in the run and Ash (Morgan) didn’t push him out,” Driver said.

Hidden Motive hasn’t raced since scoring over 1100m at Randwick on June 7 on a ‘Heavy 8’, and will trial again.

“I will sit down with Nathan (Doyle) to discuss the colt’s next race,” Driver said.

“It could be the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) against his own age at Rosehill at the end of the month, and there is also a Melbourne option a week later.”

Story John Curtis, August 8, 2025