TDN 'Horses of the Year': Harry Angel

Every day this week, a member of the TDN's Europe/International team nominates a personal 'Horse of the Year.' Kelsey Riley's choice is the European champion sprinter Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

The 3-year-old sprinter Harry Angel endeared himself to me early on with his sheer enthusiasm for racing and his tendency to fly from the gates and dare the opposition to try to go with him. His tactics worked twice on the biggest stage in 2016 and earned him the title of Europe's champion sprinter, and it will be fascinating to see what he can do in 2018 with some seasoning and maturity.

When trainer Clive Cox plucked Harry Angel out of the Doncaster Premier yearling sale for £44,000 in 2015 he had some insider knowledge on the family, having trained the dam's half-brother Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) to win the 2009 G2 Vintage S. Xtension was sold to Hong Kong and would go on to win the 2012 G1 Champions Mile for trainer John Moore, but Cox found able compensation five years later with Harry Angel.

Like Xtension, Harry Angel was a Group 2 winner at two, taking the Mill Reef S. for owner Peter Ridgers. It is speculation to say when the bay came onto Godolphin's radar, but the boys in blue were certainly watching when Harry Angel finished second to their Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) first up at three in the G3 Pavilion S. in May. Harry Angel was still in the Ridgers silks when he ran away with the G2 Sandy Lane S. by four lengths next out, but a private sale to Godolphin in the interim saw him line up in the royal blue for Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup and a first match-up with the 'Ballydoyle Bullet' Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), who was carrying an unbeaten record. Harry Angel blazed the trail in that sixth furlong contest under Adam Kirby, hounded all the way by Caravaggio's pacesetter Intelligence Cross (War Front). It was only well inside the final furlong that Harry Angel succumbed to Caravaggio on his inside, all the while holding off a very stubborn Blue Point to keep second.

Three weeks later Harry Angel once again found himself in an early-race tussle with Intelligence Cross, this time in the G1 Darley Cup July. Like he had at Royal Ascot Harry Angel raced sharply on the front end, keen to assert his dominance from the outset, but this time when he shook off Intelligence Cross and kicked for home no one could match strides, including the elder Group 1 winner Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and Caravaggio himself.

“He's gone from boy to man with every race and I can't express how good he is,” Kirby said after the July Cup.

Those words couldn't have rang more true on Sept. 9 at Haydock, when Harry Angel blitzed the opposition in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup despite connections' concerns over the heavy going. Exuberant as ever at Haydock but joined on the front end by Blue Point in the absence of Intelligence Cross and Caravaggio, Harry Angel suddenly burst clear approaching the furlong marker. His four-length margin of victory was remarkable for a sprinter over heavy going, and truly set him apart at the head of his division.

Harry Angel was handed even heavier ground for his rematch with Caravaggio in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot on Oct. 21. While neither colt proved up to the task-Harry Angel checking in fourth and Caravaggio one spot ahead of him-Harry Angel will get the chance to grow his profile further in 2018, as he stays in training. With Kirby and Cox insisting Harry Angel matures and improves with each outing, one can only imagine what he can add to his CV next year. Harry Angel ended the season as the Cartier Champion Sprinter and Europe's third-highest rated 3-year-old, behind only the joint-leaders Battaash (Ire) and Cracksman (GB) and the Arc winner Enable (GB). Battaash, also by Dark Angel, has been a later-maturing sprinter but he bested Marsha (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) by four lengths in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. He has thus far excelled at five furlongs and Harry Angel at six, but a 2018 match-up would undoubtedly generate great anticipation.