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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Nathan Doyle is keeping the lid on hype around unbeaten colt Private Harry saying Saturday’s Petaluma Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill is an important test.

Trainer Nathan Doyle (Pic: Steve Hart).

With a combined margin of 10-1/2 lengths from his wins at Newcastle and Hawkesbury, and a place in a rich slot race next month secured, Doyle said he’s clearly a smart prospect but still has a bit to prove.

Private Harry’s clash with another promising colt in Theblade, whose dam is a full sister to All Too Hard and a half sister to Black Caviar, is set to be a talking point.

“It’s the right stepping stone for him that’s for sure,’’ Doyle said.

“We’ll see where he’s at, he hasn’t beaten much to date but I suppose all you can do is win. I don’t think he could be going down in any better order so it’s all up to him now.”

A setback as a youngster meant Private Harry didn’t debut until last month but Doyle said the three-year-old, $2.15 with TAB on Thursday, showed ability right from the start.

Despite over-racing in a 900m scamper on debut on his home track, the colt underlined his potential with a runaway win but it was his Hawkesbury victory, by seven lengths after leading throughout, that really impressed the trainer.

“Probably what I like the most about the way he’s going about things is he was pretty fired up at his first start but he seems to have relaxed ever since,’’ he said.

“He’s learned on the job as a racehorse which is something we really wanted to see.

“He’s got a beautiful action, the way he travels up in a race on the corner when they’re accelerating he looks like he’s going three quarter pace.

“That tells you there is more under the bonnet. In those races you see him travelling up nicely and you look behind to see what else is travelling and nothing is.

“They’re all off the bridle to go with him when he’s still on the bridle so that’s the best attribute I’ve seen to date. He can lead, he can sit off them, he’s shown both things in his two starts.”

The colt has a slot in a $3 million race on the Gold Coast, the Magic Millions Sunlight for three-year-olds over 1100m, on January 15 and Doyle would like to head there still unbeaten.

He’ll have a barrier trial to bridge the time before that race and offset coming back 100m in trip.

“He’d want to acquit himself well if not get the job done to go up there with confidence and a spring in his step,’’ he said.

There’s a sense from Doyle that Midnight Opal is heading in the direction of a win.

The gelding had his first run in blinkers when chasing home I’mintowin at Kembla Grange two weeks ago and it was a performance that Doyle found encouraging as he tackles the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1300m).

“He tried very hard, what I liked with the blinkers going on he was much more in Jason’s hands,’’ he said.

“He gave him a squeeze to go forward and bang he was there. Before he was floating and not taking the bridle up as you’d like.

Private Harry wins at Hawkesbury on November 21

“The rock-hard track didn’t suit, he was probably there to win the race but didn’t really let down. He has a nice enough gate, he’ll put himself in the first four and he’s definitely knocking on the door.”

Nathan Doyle on Celestial Fury (race 6): “I could have gone to a 72 but I wanted to have a crack at a 78 with a respectable weight. Tim (Clark) seemed to get the best out of him at Canterbury, he’s on again with the same set up. He would present in good order he’s had three or four runs to get into his groove.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting