Happy Clapper has danced many of the big dances, and quite creditably, over the last two years. He was second and third, respectively, in last year's G1 Doncaster Mile and G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at The Championships on consecutive weekends, a feat he nearly repeated this year. Just a half-length second to It's Somewhat (Dynaformer) in the Doncaster on Apr. 1, he was fifth behind Winx the following weekend in the Queen Elizabeth. Happy Clapper was a first-up winner over Tom Melbourne in the G2 Tramway S. on Sept. 2, but again ran into Winx when second in the G1 Colgate Optic White S. on Sept. 16. Stalking the front-running Red Excitement (Aus) (Excites {Aus}) through the opening stages, Happy Clapper and Blake Shinn loomed up to the pace setter on the outside at the top of the lane and took over passing the furlong marker as Tom Melbourne began to make headway between horses. That runner-up pushed the winner all the way to the line but Happy Clapper would not be denied, and in the process also handed his trainer Pat Webster a first top-level win in 50 years of training.
“He jumped brilliantly today, probably the best he has ever jumped,” said Shinn. “The Speed was hot but he always travelled really well, we got there a little bit early for my liking, he was left there exposed as a sitting shot. He was primed for today, he's the class horse and he did a great job. I'm just so happy for everyone involved. It's their [Websters] first Group 1 and it obviously means a lot, not only to them but for me as well to do it for them.”
Pedigree Notes…
Happy Clapper, the 14th Group 1 winner for his sire, is the fifth and most accomplished progeny of his dam. He is a half-brother to the useful Gigs, four times group placed, and has 2-year-old and yearling brothers by Not A Single Doubt (Aus) to follow.
Saturday, Randwick, Australia
EPSOM H.-G1, A$1,007,000, ATC, 9-30, 3yo/up, Open Handicap, 1600mT, 1:33.17, Good.
1–HAPPY CLAPPER, 57.0, g, 7, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Busking, by Encosta de Lago
2nd Dam: Winifred's Prayer, by Tierce
3rd Dam: Vale Nymph, by Avon Valley (GB)
*1st Group 1 win. O-M W Thomas; B-Mr M Thomas ACT; T-P J
Webster; J-B Shinn; A$587,000. Lifetime Record: 28-9-6-3,
A$3,029,800. *1/2 to Gig (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), MGSP-Aus,
A$374,265. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Tom Melbourne (IRE), 52.0, g, 6, Dylan Thomas (Ire)—
Roshanak (IRE), by Spinning World (USA). O-O T I Racing (Mgr:
T Henderson), Kiwiana, A & Mrs P Goodfellow, D & Mrs D
Miller, L Webb, Ms D McKeown, Ms M Webb, W Bowker, J
Higgins, Bobbin Along & Uthmeyer Racing; B-Mr D. Ledwith,
IRE; T-C J Waller; J-G Boss; A$188,000.
3–Snitzson, 50.5, c, 4, Snitzel–Shock Pak, by Blackfriars.
(A$60,000 Ylg 2015 WI Sydney Easter Yearling Sale) O-D M &
Mrs J Taylor, G R Taylor, Miss T Moonlao, S D Crow, P D
Harding, L I Sampson, G E Aitken, P T Heinz, C F Kerr, A C Lloyd
& Werrett Bloodstock Pty Ltd Syndicate (Mgr: N R J We; B-Mr
N Tufilli WA; T-D & B Hayes & T Dabernig; J-C J Parish;
A$98,500.
Margins: 0.5 len, 3.0 len, 3.1 len. Odds: 1.40, 7.00, 25.00.
Also Ran: Foxplay, Sound Proposition (NZ), Comin' Through, McCreery (GB), Red Excitement, Savile Row (NZ), Zanbagh.
Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.
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