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A barrier trial draw has dashed trainer Pat Webster’s hopes of avoiding a clash between his stable star Happy Clapper and champion mare Winx until as late as possible this season.
The pair are drawn to meet in a high class trial at Randwick on Tuesday, something Webster agrees is unfortunate but unavoidable.
The trial will be the second for Winx since she resumed training for the spring but the first for Happy Clapper since he came of age as a G1 performer in the autumn with his placings in the $3 million Doncaster Mile and $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.The Villiers Stakes winner finished a gallant second to Winx in the Doncaster (1600m) then matched it at weight-for-age with Lucia Valentina and The United States when third in the Queen Elizabeth (2000m).
Webster has the highest respect for Winx and is hoping to take Happy Clapper down a different race path to Chris Waller’s champion for as long possible in the spring."We weren't expecting Winx to be in the Doncaster but she was and I'm happy to steer clear of her as much as we can this time around," Webster said when discussing his spring plans.
Tuesday’s trial is obviously different to race conditions but it will still give Webster a fair indication of where he is at with Happy Clapper as he begins his preparation for some big spring targets.Webster is preparing the enormously talented Happy Clapper to resume in the G2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 3.
He will then be guided by the gelding’s progress as to whether he requires another start before the $1 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 1.Happy Clapper’s Sydney form will then determine if Webster pushes on to Melbourne for the $3.5 million WS Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 22 – and a renewal of his rivalry with Winx.
Winx, unbeaten in nine starts since May of last year and Australia’s Horse of the Year in waiting, showed she was in great shape for the start of her spring campaign in the Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 20 when she cruised to a strong fourth in a trial over 850m at Randwick on July 29.Tuesday’s trial is also over 850m for Group and Listed performers and includes the Godolphin quartet Arab Dawn, Calliope, Vashka and Furnaces, Sydney Cup winner Grand Marshal, classy mare Zanbagh and Gai Waterhouse’s quality filly Scarlet Rain.
The other 850m trials for the black type horses on Tuesday feature the Waller entries Japonisme, Nikitas, Cellarman, Elle Lou and Spirit Jim and Godolphin’s Astern, Generalife, Haptic, Pearls, Archives, Hand Fast and Old North.Other entries for nthe black types trials include Southern Legend, Honesta, El Divino, Nancy, Thyme For Roses and Dixie Blossoms.
