Life changing moment awaits Doyle

By Glenn Davis 

The first few years can be the “make or break” of a trainer’s career but one good horse can prove life changing. 

Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle is hoping he’s found that good horse in unbeaten colt Private Harry who tackles the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight at the Gold Coast on Saturday. 

As an Inglis purchase, Private Harry is not eligible for the Magic Millions 3YO race and has emerged as a rising star of the turf following three straight wins at Newcastle, Hawkesbury and Rosehill. 

Doyle is one of the country’s up and coming trainers and tasted his biggest win of his career on Magic Millions day in 2023 when he won The Debut with Rush Hour.

He is now looking to strike gold in the slot race for three-year-olds.

He rates the son of Harry Angel as his best hope of his short career to deliver his greatest ever pay day in the Magic Millions Sunlight after drawing the  favourable barrier of four in the 1100 metre feature. 

The three-year-old has showed exceptional promise since winning on debut at Newcastle in November. 

He strolled in by more than seven lengths at his second start at Hawkesbury on November 21.

He then dominated his opposition when stepping up to metropolitan grade for the first time over 1200 metres at Rosehill in early December. 

“The alley is perfect and he’s not one dimensional,” Doyle said.

“He sat off the speed in his first run at Newcastle then he led all the way at Hawkesbury before winning at Rosehill.

“He’s a very progressive horse and Saturday will give us a better guide to his future.

“It’s obviously a step-up in class from a Benchmark race at Rosehill but he’s better on top of the ground.

“If it’s a dry track you’ll see a much better horse this time.”

Doyle was patient with Private Harry as a young horse and gave him five barrier trials before he won by more than three lengths on debut on his home track.

Doyle started off training at Muswellbrook and had a breakthrough season in 2019-20 when he trained 32 winners for a 22 per cent strike-rate. 

He soon moved to Newcastle and now has 41 boxes at Broadmeadow.

Doyle cut his teeth in racing as a 21-year-old learning from Sydney trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and Mark Newnham. 

He was part of the Snowden stable when Capitalist won the Magic Millions Classic and Golden Slipper double in 2016. 

In latest markets for the Magic Millions Sunlight, Private Harry has firmed to a $6 chance behind $2.80 favourite Lady Of Camelot.

“I think Lady Of Camelot is the one we must beat along with the McEvoys three-year-old Arabian Summer,” Doyle said.