Trainer Pat Webster is content for his stable star Happy Clapper to chase home super mare Winx again in the 2019 Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Winx, above, heads up the nominations for the 2019 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Happy Clapper has been runner up to Winx on three previous occasions including last start when the pair finished one, two, in the Group 2 $250,000 The Star Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 16.
Winx in chasing four consecutive wins in the Chipping Norton Stakes and as well as Happy Clapper being among the ten nominations, Winx’s Chris Waller trained stablemates Brimham Rocks, D’Argento, Egg Tart, Libran, Patrick Erin and Unforgotten make up the majority of the entries.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Aloisia and Tavago from Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s Cranbourne stable are also nominated for the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Webster is pleased with the way Happy Clapper has come through the Apollo Stakes and admits that it is impossible to beat Winx who showed that she has come back just as good as she was when she went for a spell after winning her fourth straight Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley during the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
“He came through the Apollo Stakes well and hopefully he can run second to Winx again. He can’t beat her on what she showed in the Apollo,” Webster told AAP.
“If he runs second he is on target for other races including the All-Star Mile.”
Happy Clapper’s main Autumn Carnival assignment will be the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 16 after being named as the first wildcard entry for the new concept race.
A fourth win in the Chipping Norton Stakes will take Winx’s winning streak to thirty-one and Waller said that the mighty mare will shape up in the 1600m weight for age feature in great order.
“She has come through her race really well and I can’t fault her,” Waller told Racing New South Wales News Desk.
“She had a gallop on Saturday morning and worked well within herself, hit the line strongly, and what you see is what you get, she’s just a class act.”
Winx won the Apollo Stakes at the very short odds of $1.10 and is at that same quote for the Chipping Norton Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au, way ahead of Happy Clapper who is on the second line of betting at $12.
Early betting for the Chipping Norton Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.10 Winx, $12 Happy Clapper, $21 D’Argento, Unforgotten, $51 Aloisia, Egg Tart, $67 Patrick Erin, $101 Brimham Rocks, Libran, Tavago.
Nominations for the 2019 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 68x83002x7 | ALOISIA (NZ) | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 105 |
| 2 | 2x332222x8 | BRIMHAM ROCKS (GB) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 103 |
| 3 | 4x32256x00 | D’ARGENTO | H | 4 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 4 | 21x53330x3 | EGG TART | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 107 |
| 5 | x1213x75x2 | HAPPY CLAPPER | G | 8 | Patrick Webster | 118 |
| 6 | 0x8378338x | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 8 | Chris Waller | 104 |
| 7 | 4656x641x4 | PATRICK ERIN (NZ) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 106 |
| 8 | 00x518x79x | TAVAGO (NZ) | G | 6 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 108 |
| 9 | 121x6138x5 | UNFORGOTTEN | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 109 |
| 10 | 111x1111x1 | WINX | M | 7 | Chris Waller | 132 |
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