Happy Clapper

All good, there wasn't one prior to this & at least it's working now. I used it around midday to be told the 'directory does not exist'

Deserving horse and trainer.
50 yrs training and his first group 1

Lovely to see him win and great for a gentleman of the turf who gives so much to racing.  He's always been good but it helped that Winx wasn't there.  Just shows those overseas rating people how good she is going to beat horses of his class.  He almost ran a race record with top weight.

Well said all the above, this is why I never lose faith in human nature.

Brilliant run today

Would be great if he could finally win the Doncaster. With a bit more luck and no Winx he'd probably have 5 or 6 G1's by now.

jacko1 wrote: Would be great if he could finally win the Doncaster. With a bit more luck and no Winx he'd probably have 5 or 6 G1's by now.

He's had plenty of opportunities to win G1s with no Winx in the race

Winx didn't stop him beating Lucia valentina or Hauraki or It's Somewhat or Awesome Rock or ..

Not a bad horse

Because his trainer doesn't run away from Winx helps SC.  People see just how honestly he tries every time and the trainer (in the interview after the race) said after he runs against Winx they pamper him.  Looks like its working.  Loved that win.

2nd best miler in the country and proved it today.

Any horse that can go back to racing winx time and time again and come out still racing in top form deserves our praise.  She can flatten them.

Who would have ever imagined a horse who had a basic Rating, higher than WINX at his last start ,    Would not be favourite for that Doncaster today.

Even though I dutched the race, Clapper wasn't my best way as Kementari
had me again in the 3 Y/O Hype we fall into, too early in the year.     It was a top race, the right horse won.                                                                          

acacia alba wrote: So pleased The Clapper brained them.  He deserved this win, and so does his trainer.   I see he only has one owner ?  Anyone know who he is ?   Bet he is having a few tonight

Michael Thomas is his name. He also bred the horse.
His half brother ran today too, Not a Single Cent which Mike also bred. He owns 25% in that horse. More details in the story below


Retired bookmaker and hobby breeder Michael Thomas heads to Randwick with two chances in Group One races, something he almost let slip away.

After a couple of years breeding from Busking, Thomas sold the mare before later buying her back when Darley decided to move her on.

The mare was in foal to Teofilo with a colt who would later become Happy Clapper whose popularity in Sydney is surpassed only by Winx.

The Pat Webster-trained Happy Clapper runs in Saturday's Doncaster Mile while Busking's 2015 foal by Not A Single Doubt is named Not A Single Cent and runs in the ATC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) for trainer Ciaron Maher.

A dual Group One winner this season, Happy Clapper has been runner-up in the past two Doncasters and will have his work cut out again against a couple of lightly weighted colts.

Not A Single Cent won the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at his second start for caretaker trainer Aaron Purcell but has drawn the outside barrier in a field which features Golden Slipper runner-up Oohood.

"I'd never won a Group One race until the Epsom with Happy Clapper," Thomas said.

"He's now won two and has been advantaged this season by the addition of blinkers and the dry tracks.

"And he has been sparingly raced. He gets a lot of individual attention from Pat which is one of the reasons I sent him there.

"I wanted my horse trained at Randwick but not in a factory and Pat fits the bill."

Owner and trainer don't always agree but Thomas says Webster always gets his way.

Webster was training Thankgodyou'rehere, a multiple stakes winner, when Thomas decided five years ago to send him to Victoria where water walkers were coming into vogue.

To placate his trainer, Thomas said he could have Happy Clapper who is the second favourite for the Doncaster behind Godolphin colt Kementari.

Not A Single Cent is at $12 for the Sires' Produce Stakes and, like Happy Clapper, he will be ridden by Blake Shinn.

If he can win, he will give Maher a Group One welcome back with the trainer resuming operations at Caulfield this week after serving a six-month suspension over the bona fides of five horses in his stable.

"Ciaron picked him out at the sales and bought him on spec and I went to him and asked if I could buy back into him so I have 25 per cent," Thomas said.

"He is a horse I think will get at least 1600 metres."

Thomas describes himself as a recreational punter these days and has never backed Happy Clapper and never needed to with the gelding earning more than $4 million.


Read more at http://www.bloodstock.com.au/news/story.php?id=27601#uFqhS0wsFALE85z6.99

Quote, " If you run the Stradbroke on the Caloundra track I would be there in a heartbeat"
Really when it's all said and done it is a positive statement from a genuine bloke who happens to train a bloody good horse, what more of a recommendation do those that are in charge up there need, imo they will take No notice, why?.....because it's too bloody simple and makes too much sense.