The four-year-old entire Private Harry has earned praise from Ash Morgan, who will reconnect with the Group One winner for the Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm next month.
On Wednesday at Canterbury, Morgan sent Private Harry through an exhibition gallop, the horse covering 1000m in 1:06.53 with a sharp 36.29 seconds for the final 600m.
Resuming from bone bruising that ended his spring prematurely, Private Harry makes his bow for trainer Chris Waller in the Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week, and the jockey feels the entire is on track.
“I was happy with him. It has been a long time since I’ve sat on him, but he did it all well,” Morgan said.
“He was in a nice, relaxed manner. He pulled up through his gears well and I thought he moved well and did everything right. He’s in good order and his action was good.
He had a little bit of a blow pulling up, but he’d recovered by the time we got back to the yard. He is spot-on for first-up.”
Morgan was aboard for Private Harry’s first five runs, including the Galaxy victory, until Tim Clark replaced him after defeat in The Shorts (1100m) in September.
A midweek call confirmed Morgan’s retention for the Victory Stakes, which he gladly took.
“It was a nice call to get,” he said.
“Special horse to me. It’s good to be back on him and it was good to get a sit on him again. Hopefully he’s back to his best.”
Waller’s aide Charlie Duckworth highlighted their priority to re-engage Morgan given the horse’s familiarity, heartened by the workout feedback.
“He said he was really clean in the wind, so he’s fit and forward, which is what he’s going to need to be,” Duckworth said.
“It looks a pretty competitive race next Saturday with the likes of Lady Of Camelot and Jokers Grin and a few others there. It’s not going to be an easy task, but it’s a nice stepping stone towards the Doomben 10,000.”
Waller conditions Jokers Grin too, the ex-Perth galloper pulled from last weekend’s Randwick meeting to chase Queensland riches, Sam Clipperton enlisted.
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