PRIVATE HARRY A STAR ATTRACTION AT WYONG CUP

PRIVATE Harry won’t be racing, but will be a star attraction at Friday’s Wyong Gold Cup meeting.

In a change of plans, the unbeaten Newcastle sprinter and second favorite for the $20m The Everest at Royal Randwick will stage an exhibition gallop between races.

“We were going to gallop him between races at Canterbury next Wednesday, but with traffic it can be a long return float trip,” Kurrinda Bloodstock principal Sean Driver said this afternoon.

“Wyong Race Club was happy to have Private Harry gallop there on Friday, and obviously it’s a much shorter return trip from trainer Nathan Doyle’s stable at Broadmeadow.

“Private Harry will parade before going onto the track, and his jockey Ash Morgan will ride him in our colours in the 1000m gallop.

“He will work on his own and without ear muffs, which he wears in his gallops at home.”

Driver said the opportunity to gallop the star four-year-old at Wyong fitted in perfectly in the lead-up to his resumption in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 20.

“This is exactly what we did with Private Harry before he won the $3m Sunlight Plate (1100m) at the Magic Millions meeting transferred to the Sunshine Coast in January,” he said.

“He had an exhibition gallop at Newcastle a fortnight before the Sunlight, and produced a peak performance in that race.”

Private Harry, who has won all five starts culminating with a Group 1 triumph in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, is currently a $6 second favorite behind Hong Kong Horse Of The Year  Ka Ying Rising ($1.80), unbeaten from eight starts last season including four Group 1s, in The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 18.

Private Harry also will contest the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 4 as his final lead-up race to the world’s richest sprint a fortnight later.

. Meanwhile, three provincial stables have nominated a total of six horses amongst 120 for the first ever $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has four entries, whilst Kembla Grange trainers, father and son Rob and Luke Price, and Kerry Parker, each have a nomination.

Lees nominated Adelaide River, Age Of Sail, Changingoftheguard and Cleveland, Team Price entered Our Gold Hope and Parker’s entry is Wagga Cup winner Flying Bandit.

Weights for the Cup will be released no later than September 16, and first declarations at a fee of $2000 are due by 12 noon on September 30.

Second declarations ($4000) close at the same time on October 14, and third declarations ($5000) are due by 10am on October 27.

Final declarations for the Cup will be taken by 4.30pm on November 1 (Victoria Derby day at Flemington), and the barrier draw conducted an hour later.

Whilst the final declaration fee is $55,000, each Cup runner will earn a minimum $100,000 as a result of the prizemoney boost to a record $10m.

Story John Curtis, September 2, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos