HAPPY HARRY’S WIND IN SAILS
TRAINER David Kelly is confident Hi Harry can be a metropolitan winner again after finding success for the first time since undergoing a wind operation.
Jockey Luke Rolls steered Hi Harry to victory in the Class 3 Plate (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday, successfully stepping up from the 1350m the four-year-old gelding ran over in his last start at Doomben a week earlier.
“I’m happy with the run – he is just a lazy bugger so he only does what he wants to do,” Kelly said.
“Luke said he was pricking his ear near the winning post having a look.
“He stepped from 1350m to 1800m so he is a really nice horse.
“He won his first start and then we put him into another 1200m; it was too short for him after that first up run so I think he will go on with the job over ground.
“He might get 2200m the way he races so I’m really happy.”
It was another step towards reaching the potential Hi Harry showed in his second preparation late last year.
Kelly said Hi Harry looked like one of the best threeyear-old’s in Brisbane when he finished second in at Eagle Farm before winning at Doomben over 1600m in his next start in October 2016.
The Gold Coast trainer turned Hi Harry out but when he returned in February the horse was struck down with breathing problems.
Hi Harry had a wind operation in which one side of his larynx was stitched to hold it open while galloping.
It appears to have worked with Hi Harry winning in his first start back in September at the Gold Coast and bounced back from a flat run in his next race to finish eighth at Doomben.
“I was really happy with run in Brisbane,” Kelly said.
“He came home well and we were quite confident going into this race.
“It was just the step up in 1350m to 1800m we were worried about.”
Kelly said he would likely give Hi Harry another run or two at provincial level before going back to Brisbane.
“He is an exciting horse if his wind stays together,” Kelly said. “I can see him back in town winning on a Saturday over a bit of ground.”