After Harbour Views win in the Bass Strait Beef Handicap BM 78 1400m at Caulfeld on Sunday, Racing.com reporter Jayne Ivil as tipped him as one to follow this season. Her thoughts on the horse are as follows:
Easily one of the more exciting gallopers to line up on Sunday’s program and the five-year-old gelding didn’t disappoint, keeping his unbeaten record intact by winning his fourth consecutive race since arriving in Australia.
He is a stayer of the future, although how long it will take for him to get there will be determined by how long it takes for him to furnish as a racehorse.
Trainer Matthew Williams along with his connections are taking a patient approach with this gelding, an approach which will continue to pay dividends if they look after this gelding who still has plenty of maturing to do, both mentally and physically.
There is no doubt he is a horse with presence, it’s hard not to be taken by him in the parade ring, firstly because of his size – he is tall, leggy and has an enormous range – and the way he covers ground. You can visible see in the way his stride extends during a race. He looks like a 2000m horse but as we saw on Sunday, he is dynamic enough to win races over 1400m.
Harbour Views is still very raw, his frame will take time to fill out completely and mentally he has required time as well. I like the fact that he doesn’t get himself worked up on race day, he was very composed in his earlier racing, perhaps a touch fresh on Saturday but by no means bad.
Because of his physical make-up, he is a clean-winded horse who comes to hand very quickly. His lean physique means he doesn’t carry any excess condition and this is where his management will really be telling in his next few outings. He was forward on Sunday and looked fit so my only concern would be that you wouldn’t want to see him any lighter in his next parade.
Given the statements trainer Matthew Williams has made he is fully aware of the type of horse he is working with, this gelding won’t be rushed, he will be managed and maintained so we see the best of him. I believe that the moment he isn’t handling racing and does lighten off he will be back in the paddock for a break.
What I like about his plan going forward this preparation is that it is all achievable. The targets at this stage are not rich, they are well within his means. He will have three and a half weeks between runs leading into his next target on Geelong Cup Day where he will line up in a BM78 handicap over 1500m which doubles as a heat for the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series. If he finishes top two in the heat he will qualify to run in the final at Flemington on Oaks Day over 1600m.
This is a gelding that we will no doubt see at the top level at some point during his career it’s just not likely to be this spring.