Mastering the Classic Sale plan: Libertad, Private Harry, and the Rheinwood method

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Bred in the cold, hot on the track – that’s the motto of Rheinwood Pastoral who might just have unveiled another good horse from their Classic drafts. With Libertad (Russian Revolution) winning the G1 Winterbottom Stakes in Perth this season, and Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) winning last season’s G1 Galaxy Handicap, the farm’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale drafts are statistically impressive in their results.

Private Harry on target for Queensland Winter Carnival

Private Harry was first seen as a spring 3-year-old where he won five in succession including the $3 million Sunlight slot race in Queensland. In the autumn, he had just the one start, winning the G1 Galaxy Handicap.

Rheinwood Pastoral are selling his half-brother by Zousain at this year's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale as Lot 56. “Private Harry will have his first prep for Waller which is exciting to have a horse in a great stable,” said Willis.

“The (2-year-old) half-sister by Captivant has just gone out for a spell, but she's had her first full prep with Nathan Doyle, and he was really happy with her and how she progressed.”

Kurrinda Bloodstock and Nathan Doyle purchased the Captivant filly at last year's Classic Sale for $220,000 and she remains unnamed.

A much publicised sale of 50% of Private Harry Yulong occurred after his Group 1 victory, in a private deal that valued the horse between $8 million and $15 million depending on which source you read. He was slated to run in Yulong’s G1 The Everest slot, but two fifth placings in two Group 2 lead up races resulted in his ownership groups pulling the pin on his campaign.

A knee issue was found to be the cause of the drop in form, and it was announced that he would move from trainer Nathan Doyle to trainer Chris Waller for his next campaign.

“He’s been in work for six weeks after an enforced layoff. He’s sound and goes to Chris (Waller) on Monday to start pace work. He’ll have two trials here on March 31 and April 14, then will head to Queensland for an exhibition gallop at Eagle Farm on April 25. If all is well, he’ll be first up in Victory Stakes on May 2,” said Kurrinda Bloodstock’s Sean Driver.

“We’ve had our issues with him soundness wise and Chris is confident that he’ll stand up (for this campaign), but time will tell.”

Back in October 2025, Driver explained the issue as bone bruising to his near fore knee. “It’s the third and fourth carpal bones in his near fore knee. There’s no cartilage, ligament or suspensory or tendon damage at all. It’s just very deep bone bruising we’ve been battling with for the past month. We dealt with that in-house and we thought we’d be able to manage him accordingly, but unfortunately the firm tracks found us out.”

The winner of five of his seven starts and over $2 million was sold by Rheinwood Pastoral at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $115,000 to Kurrinda Bloodstock and Doyle Racing.

Orchid Sky and Flying Orchid

When a trainer debuts a 2-year-old in a group race, you know they have something a little bit special about them. Rheinwood Pastoral-sold Orchid Sky (Portland Sky) debuted in Saturday’s G3 Chairman’s Stakes last weekend, running fourth behind G1 Blue Diamond favourite Big Sky (Bivouac).

“She’s a nice, athletic, big filly, and will probably have another run this prep. We won't be heading towards the Group 1 races with her this time in, but will fit in a nice maiden somewhere. (After that) we’ll give her a nice break and aim her at the spring,” said trainer Patrick Kearney.

Rheinwood Pastoral sold Orchid Sky at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $50,000 to Kearney and Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA). She is the fifth foal to race from Orchid Beach (Hinchinbrook) who has also produced stakes placed Flying Orchid (Flying Artie).

“I quite like the Hinchinbrook mares and think he's going to be a strong sire of broodmares. Orchid Sky also has the Portland Sky Deep Field lines, and I think you'll see a couple of nice horses by Portland Sky in the future too.”

Hinchinbrook, a son of Fastnet Rock, has eight stakes winners as a broodmare sire, led by Hong Kong Group 1 winner Invincible Sage (Thronum). Another with strong Hong Kong form is Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}) who should be a Group 1 winner but keeps placing behind super star Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}). Cordyceps Six (Star Turn) is another group winner in Hong Kong from a Hinchinbrook mare.

There are a couple of juveniles who feature in this list too, lead by Blue Gum Farm’s recently deceased sire Sejardan, whose first crop are yearlings this year. The other one of note is this season’s G3 BJ McLachlan Stakes winner Zip Lock (Hellbent) and Orchid Sky’s yearling half-sister as Lot 275, who heads to Classic this year is bred on the same cross as Zip Lock.

“She’s an exciting broodmare and she’s in foal to Schwarz,” said Rheinwood Pastoral’s Kirsty Willis. “Pat absolutely loved Orchid Sky as a yearling, It was really exciting (to see her debut), and she ran super. If a trainer wants to run a horse in a group race on debut, they obviously think a lot of her, and she wasn't just there to make up the numbers. There were far easier options for her (last weekend).

“We raced Orchard Beach because we were shareholders in Hinchinbrook, and she was the last daughter out of Opportune, who was one of our good old mares. Unfortunately got injured, so never actually made it to the track, but she's an absolute beautiful type, and she just throws this amazing temperament into her horses. They're just all really lovely animals.”

Orchid Sky’s older half-brother Flying Orchid passed in at Classic and is raced by Rheinwood Pastoral and partners with trainer John Sargent. A winner at his only start at two, he won again when resuming at three. He then had three runs this spring in stakes company, placing in the Listed Dulcify Stakes behind Attica (Lonhro) who won the G1 Spring Champion Stakes at his next start.

“He’s gone out for a spell,” said trainer John Sargent. “He’s very promising and hopefully we can get him back for the spring.”

Uncertain future for Libertad

G1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Libertad is the type of horse that anyone would want to breed. A group winner at two, three, four, and five, he’s tough and fast. Rheinwood Pastoral sold him at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $40,000 to T Nolen, who pinhooked him into the Inglis Ready2Race Sale where trainer Annabel Neasham (now Archibald) bought him for $210,000.

Sadly for racing fans, the news on Wednesday is that his racing future is uncertain. “He got bitten by a spider after Perth, and has had a few complications, so his owners are discussing his future,” said co-trainer Rob Archibald.

If there is a stud deal in Libertad’s future, and there should be given his race record and pedigree, at least breeders know that he retired through no fault of his own. And with Trilogy in his ownership, who also own Blue Gum Farm, there’s a natural place for him.

His dam Electric Charge (Charge Forward), who Rheinwood Pastoral sold to Trilogy Racing in 2023 for $360,000 through Inglis Digital, and unfortunately doesn’t have a yearling this year.

Libertad has won five of his seventeen starts and over $1.6 million. An unbeaten 2-year-old who won the G3 Kindergarten Stakes, he resumed at three with victory in the G3 San Domenico Stakes. At four, he won the G2 Victory Stakes (coincidentally, the race Private Harry with resume in this winter), before heading over the Perth to win the G1 Winterbottom Stakes in a thriller with Overpass (Vancouver) in second.