Private Harry—one of the earliest confirmations for this year’s The Everest—will not line up at Randwick on October 18 after his spring campaign was brought to an abrupt end.

The Nathan Doyle-trained four-year-old, who opened his career with five straight wins, finished unplaced for the second time this preparation when 4-1/2 lengths back in Saturday’s Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m), taken out by Briasa.

That followed another 4-1/2 lengths fifth in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on September 20.

Post-race checks revealed lameness in the near foreleg, and part-owner Yulong confirmed on Monday morning that Private Harry will undergo further testing before being sent for a spell.

“It’s obviously disappointing but we need to do what’s best for the horse,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.

“He’s far better than his last two runs would suggest, so there is clearly something amiss that we need to look into further.

“Nathan Doyle’s team will take him into the clinic this week for a thorough investigation, which hopefully will shed some light on the situation and let us plan an appropriate path for him.”

Private Harry had been slated to represent Yulong’s slot in this year’s The Everest, and the operation will now weigh up alternatives to fill the vacancy.

Yulong still has two representatives engaged for The Everest, with Angel Capital set to run for James Harron and Magic Time signed by Inglis over the weekend.

Magic Time was among three weekend confirmations for The Everest, joined by War Machine and Jedibeel for Coolmore and Mulberry Racing respectively, while Godolphin remains the only slot-holder yet to lock in its runner.

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