Happy Clapper proved himself perhaps the best credentialed older horse anywhere in the world by storming to his third G1 win in the A$3 million Doncaster Handicap at Royal Randwick in Sydney on Saturday, 7 March.
As well as confirming his status as a horse of genuine class, Happy Clapper became by far his sire Teofilo’s greatest earner, his third G1 win taking his total prize money beyond A$5 million.
Happy Clapper has now won Sydney’s two best mile races, having taken out the G1 Epsom Handicap last Spring with his latest victory coming after second placings in the Doncaster in 2016 and 2017. The first of those was behind world Champion mare Winx who he has chased home seven times, finishing second to her on three occasions.
Happy Clapper raced on the pace from the start, taking command at the furlong marker and holding on strongly to run the mile in the fastest time recorded in the Doncaster’s 152-year history and just milliseconds off the track record of 1:33:13.
Happy Clapper is Teofilo’s fifth Australian G1 winner, along with Humidor, Sonntag, Palentino and Kermadec, the last of whom is now a Darley stallion and won the Doncaster himself in 2015.
Bred by his owner Michael Thomas, Happy Clappper is out of the Encosta de Lago mare Busking and is a half-brother to the G2 winner Not A Single Cent. Busling is a winning half-sister to the G3 winner Thankgodyou’rehere.
Happy Clapper is one of 14 G1 winners for Teofilo, also sire of Irish Derby hero Trading Leather, Irish Guineas winner Pleascach and 2017 Prix Jean Romanet winner Ajman Princess.
Teofilo stands at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €40,000, Oct 1, SLF.
