‘It's a sad day': Group 1-winner Happy Clapper dies

Happy Clapper, the racehorse who was the epitome of the phrase the "people's champion", has died after suffering from colic.

The multiple Group 1 winner's former trainer, Pat Webster, learned of the passing of his former stable star on Thursday morning.

"It's a sad day,'' Webster said. "But when I think of ‘The Clapper' there are so many great memories.

"He might not have been a champion but he was the best horse I ever trained.''

Happy Clapper won 12 of his 48 races and earned more than $7.2 million prizemoney including Group 1 wins in the 2016 Doncaster Mile, 2017 Epsom Handicap and 2018 Canterbury Stakes.

"He is the only horse to win the Villiers Stakes (2015), Doncaster and Epsom Handicaps,'' Webster said.

Happy Clapper also ran placings in another 10 Group 1 races including four seconds behind the great Winx.

In the 2019 Chipping Norton Stakes, Happy Clapper famously attempted an all-the-way win and dashed five lengths clear on the turn. He maintained his advantage until near the 100m when, inevitably, Winx reeled in her old rival to win by more than a length in an epic finish.

"I remember the crowd gave him almost as big a reception as Winx after that race,'' Webster said.

"My family always tells me that they will be talking about Happy Clapper in 100 years' time because of Winx.'

Webster's ever-reliable gelding was so popular with racing fans that the Australian Turf Club named a bar after him in the Winx Stand at Royal Randwick.

Happy Clapper had been enjoying a leisurely retirement until falling ill this week and despite the best veterinary care, could not be saved. He was 14 years old.

ASHFORD STREET

Dabernig under investigation after positive swab

A horse trained by Warrnambool-based Tom Dabernig has returned a positive swab to a prohibited substance, prompting a Racing Victoria investigation.

The Dabernig-trained Ashford Street returned a positive test in a pre-race urine sample before the Millennium Sprint at Caulfield last October.

The Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory found Ashford Street’s sample to contain Testosterone, Formestane, 4-Hydroxytestosterone, and 6a-Hydroxyandrost-4-Ene3, 17-Dione, all banned under the Australian rules of racing.

Both Testosterone and 4-Hydroxytestosterone are classified as an anabolic androgenic steroid, according to the RV stewards’ release.

Formestane is a steroidal aromatase inhibitor and a-Hydroxyandrost-4-Ene3, 17-Dione is a metabolite of a steroidal aromatase inhibitor.

Steroidal aromatase inhibitors are not known to be contained in any therapeutic medications registered for use in horses.

Ashford Street, who won at Caulfield in December, died in April, according to the Australian Stud Book.

The RV stewards’ investigation is continuing.