Plenty of fight left in old 'Roy'

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With fellow nine-year-old The Cleaner being retired at the weekend, Paul Beshara’s Happy Trails has been left to fly the flag for the senior citizens of Australian racing.

The gelded son of Good Journey will go into battle on Saturday for the 64th time, taking his place in his fifth consecutive Cox Plate, a feat that emulated that of two-time winner Fields Of Omagh.

And when you consider the Cox Plate brings together some the best gallopers throughout the world, under weight for age conditions, it’s a monumental effort.

“He’s an absolute beauty,” Beshara told G1X.com.au.

“He’s not showing any signs of slowing down. He doesn’t like the paddock, this horse. He’s a competitor.

“He’s beaten the likes of Puissance De Lune, Fiorente, Fawkner, Green Moon and Criterion. They’re all retired and he’s still going.”

From the Perugino mare Madame Flurry, Happy Trails, or ‘Roy’, as he’s affectionately known, was knocked down to Beshara for just $11,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

He was second on debut in a 1000m Maiden at Murray Bridge in May, 2010, before notching his first win at his next start - a 2YO Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville - a month later.

Roy now boasts seven wins and 17 minor placings from his 63 starts, and a whopping $3.3 million in earnings, while, incredibly, he’s started in Group 1 company 33 times, winning on three occasions and placing on five.

At his first crack at the Cox Plate, in 2012, Happy Trails was 10th behind Ocean Park, beaten 6.5 lengths.

Twelve months later, he was narrowly touched off by three-year-old maiden Shamus Award, while in 2014, he ran sixth, beaten less than a length, in the race won by Adelaide.

And last year, Happy Trails was 10th behind Winx, beaten 13 lengths.

“Some of his best runs have been in the Cox Plate,” said Beshara. “He was super in 2013 and then again a year later. He was unlucky in 2014. He missed the start badly and then he ran into a few backsides as they were turning for home.”

Shamus Award wins the G1 2013 Cox Plate with Happy Trails charging into second.

Saturday’s renewal is being touted as a race in two - Winx and Hartnell.

That star pair dominate the betting, with defending champion Winx favourite at $2 (with Sportsbet) and the flying Hartnell a $3 chance.

Happy Trails in friendless in betting, currently a $101 chance.

Beshara, though, doesn’t subscribe to the theory that it’s a two-horse race.

“This is the racing game, anything can happen,” the trainer said.

“Black Caviar and Frankel are the only two that I know of that were unbeatable.

“He wouldn’t be there if I didn’t think he could win.”

Beshara will be at Moonee Valley on Tuesday for Breakfast With The Best, but his stable star will stay away from the bright lights, Happy Trails to instead tune up for the $3 million race at Sandown.

Story from G1X Racing

Pretty Punk earns trip to Melbourne after upstaging the boys at Morphettville

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Promising filly Pretty Punk will target the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day after her impressive victory over the boys in the $100,000 Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Pretty Punk gave jockey Joe Bowditch a reason for an early celebration before his wedding on Sunday, the pair proving too good for the Tony McEvoy-trained Silvera and heavily backed Morvada, who tired after working hard to find the lead.

It was the stable’s fourth Hill Smith win in the past 12 years.

The success completed a massive day at the office for Hall of Fame trainer Leon Macdonald and co-trainer Andrew Gluyas, who produced So You Too and On A Dream to win earlier.

Macdonald said Bowditch was putting his hand up to ride stablemate Ace Attack, who finished sixth. “Joe was keen to ride the other one but I said Clare (Lindop) gets the choice,’’ Macdonald said.

Bowditch said Pretty Punk was a horse going places after being forced to cover ground in the run before coming with a big finishing burst. “She’s a good filly,’’ the jockey said. “She was wide but has some cover and she was really strong.’’

While Pretty Punk was impressive, her victory was slightly overshadowed by stablemate So You Too, who produced a dazzling turn of foot to run down his three-year-old rivals over the 1200m earlier in the day.

Despite getting back in the run, So You Too swept into the race before racing past rivals to score by more than a length.

Lincoln Moore, The Advertiser

First Stakes-Winner for Rebel Raider

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Dual Derby hero Rebel Raider posted his first stakes-winner on Saturday at Morphettville when three year-old filly Pretty Punk took out the Listed SAJC Hill-Smith Stakes for the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas stable.

A last start maiden winner at the same venue, Pretty Punk relished a step up to 1800 metres to power home and win by a length and three-quarters, her second win from just six starts.

Bred by Harry Perks and retained to race, Pretty Punk was raised at Mill Park and is the second winner from metro winning Kurofone (USA) mare Reliability, who has been a regular partner for Rebel Raider and will foal again to him this spring.

A top class son of Reset, Rebel Raider (pictured above) won both the Group I VRC Victoria Derby and SAJC Derby and was also raised and sold by Mill Park.

He stands at Wyndholm Park in Victoriaat a fee of $5,500.

Mill Park Sold Guard Of Honour Makes it 21 for Northern Meteor

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The well supported Guard Of Honour became the first stakes-winner from the fourth and final crop of Northern Meteor when holding the challenge of the hard-charging Flash Fibian in Saturday’s Schweppes Heritage Stakes (1100m).

Given the run of the race by Hugh Bowman, Guard Of Honour wrestled the lead off the favourite Tango Rain 300 metres out but came under attack from the fast finishing Flash Fibian.

Carrying the colours of Ron and Judy Wanless, Guard Of Honour clung to a nose victory over Flash Fibian (Ready's Image) with Hair Trigger (Smart Missile) a head back in third. (photos Steve Hart).

The winner was making just his third race start and his first of the season.

He showed he had a bright future when winning at Warwick Farm back in June and trainer Kris Lees said the 3yo colt would be improved by the run.

"He (Bowman) looked to have plenty of horse underneath him but it was very tight at the finish," Lees said

"He will definitely improve off the run but he will probably need too.

"We will see how he comes through it. There is another stakes race in two weeks time at 1200 (Group II Roman Consul) whether he’s ready for that that, we’ll just see how he comes through today.

"He’s a smart horse.”

Bred by Mill Park and Toorak Park Stud and offered by Mill Park at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale, Guard Of Honour was knocked down to Scone Bloodstock Servicesfor $300,000.

He is the second foal of the General Nediym mare Victory Cry a sister to Listed winner Victory Chant and a half-sister to Listed winner Reldas ( Testsa Rossa).

Victory Cry’s dam Classic Status (Marscay) is a half-sister to the outstanding filly Serious Speed (Royal Academy) whose five wins included the Group 1 One Thousand Guineas.

Victory Cry has a 2yo colt by Sebring and a yearling Foxwedge filly.

She was bred back to Northern Meteor’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winning son Shooting To Win last spring.

Guard Of Honour becomes the 21st stakes-winner for former Widden Stud resident Northern Meteor who died in July 2013. 

News from Breednet

Star Winner Sold by Mill Park

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The winning run of Star Thoroughbreds continued at Canterbury on Wednesday with a stylish first up victory for the Chris Waller-trained filly Gretna, a $150,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the draft of Mill Park Thoroughbreds.

The Snitzel filly was a smart winner at Moonee Valley back in March and was having her first run back from a well-earned spell.

Tuned up with two recent trials, Gretna showed good qualities to travel kindly for Brenton Avdulla just off the leaders before accelerating to the line to win the 1200 metre sprint by a half a length.

“She jumped well and settled well, although it took her a little while to get clear,” Waller said.

“She’s still a bit green, so it was good to see her sprint like that and win well.

“She’s a lovely filly that will progress through to stakes races.”

Entered for the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas, Gretna has two wins from five starts.

Bred by Mill Park and Brian Messner, Gretna is the fourth winner from Stars With a Kiss, a half-sister by Umatilla to Group II winner Hadabeclorka and stakes-winner Songs of Vienna, the dam of stakes-winner City of Song.

Mill Park sold the current two year-old from Starts with a Kiss, a filly by I Am Invincible, at Inglis Premier this year for $260,000 to Busuttin Racing / G1X Racing.

She has a yearling filly by Hinchinbrook, but was not covered last year.

Happy Trails ready for fifth Cox Plate tilt

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Win, lose or draw, expect three cheers and a standing ovation for fan favourite Happy Trails when he competes in his fifth and final Cox Plate at Moonee Valley this spring.

The champion gelding is a “90 per cent” chance to call it quits at the end of the calendar year, having given his all over nearly seven years on the racetrack.

In 61 career starts, the stunning-looking chestnut has raced in 50 Group or Listed races, boasting five Stakes wins, including three G1s.

It was the spring of 2012, however, that turned the perennial placegetter into a cult hero.

Up until then, the Adelaide-based juvenile had run 23 times for two wins, 10 placings and fourth on six occasions.

But with age and maturity, Happy Trails turned into a superstar.

At his first run at five, he won the G3 Spring Stakes at Morphettville, before finishing second in the G2 Memsie and winning the G2 Feehan Stakes third-up, en route to his first G1 win – the 2012 Emirates Stakes at $13.

In the autumn of 2013, he finished third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth at $41, before returning for the spring of 2014 to win the G1 Turnbull Stakes at $26 and finish a narrow second to Shamus Award in the Cox Plate at $12.

He won the third of his G1s more than a year later – in the autumn of 2014 – holding off He’s Your Man to win the G1 Mackinnon at $7 after finishing within a length of Adelaide in the Cox Plate the week prior.

He hasn’t won since the 2014 Mackinnon, however trainer Paul Beshara believes there’s one more win left in him before the curtain closes.

“I reckon he’s got another Group 1 in him – I do. Deep down in my heart, I believe he’s got another in him,” Beshara told G1X.com.au.

“He hasn’t lost it and when I brought him back for the autumn, he raced in the Australian Cup – he ran the fastest last 800m in that but they just went that slow early and it didn’t suit him.

“Then I took him up to the Queen Elizabeth in Sydney on a heavy track and he ran a very credible fifth.”

Beshara hadn’t always intended to bring him back for the spring, but happy by name, happy by nature, the rising nine-year-old still has the zest for racing.

“He seems to be enjoying being back in work,” Beshara said.

“He looks good. He still wants to be there, he’s quite happy to be there. I’ll start to sprint him up next week and that will tell us more about him then.

Happy Trails finishing second to three-year-old Shamus Award in the G1 WS Cox Plate

“He’ll either go to the Cox Plate or the Mackinnon, and we’ve had an invitation to go to Perth, so we might go there for the Railway and the Kingston Town.”

But Beshara said it would be Happy Trails’ last crack at Cox Plate glory.

“More than likely, 90 per cent chance – he’s rising nine, so you don’t want to go to the well too many times,” he said.

“He’s one of the best horses in Australia and if you look at all the horses he’s raced against, most of them are all retired and he’s still going. I’ll say this will be his swansong.”

News from Damien Ractliffe, G1X

Debut Win for Pipeline

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The juvenile maiden for colts at Wyong on Tuesday was won by exciting two year-old Pipeline, who holds an entry for the Group I ATC Golden Rose in September.

A $575,000 Magic Millions purchase for Stallion Racing / Jadeskye Racing from the draft of renowned South Australian nursery Mill Park, Pipeline is prepared by Gerald Ryan.

Well educated with three trials under his belt, Pipeline was surprisingly easy in the market starting at $11, but delivered a very likable performance.

Despite covering ground in the run from a wide gate under Tim Clark, Pipeline was super strong to the line and scored a short head win in the 1100 metre maiden.

His trainer was surprised the colt had been overlooked by punters.

“We thought he could win, although I did wonder if the 1100 here might be a bit short for him,” Ryan said.

“He was caught wide, but was too good.”

Bred by Mill Park and Mills Thoroughbred Breeding, Pipeline is the second foal and second winner for Group II AJC Villiers Stakes winner Dances on Waves, who was also trained by Ryan.

Mill Park sold the current yearling from Dances on Waves, a colt by Street Cry (IRE) for $725,000 at Magic Millions this year to China Horse Club / Winstar Farm.

A royally bred half-sister by Anabaa (USA) to the dam of four-time Group I winner Preferment, Dances on Waves has a weanling colt by Snitzel and will foal to him again this spring.
 

Morphettville Win for She’s A Storm

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Opening her account at Morphettville on Wednesday was lightly raced Artie Schiller (USA) filly She’s a Storm, a $50,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Mill Park draft.

Resuming from a lengthy spell to have her third start, the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas trained filly raced just behind the leaders and did best in a tight finish to win the 1250 metre maiden by a neck with more than four lengths back to third.

She’s a Storm is a half-sister to stakes-winner storm Rolling In and is the ninth winner from fine to race from terrific producer Stormy Flyer (USA).

Stormy Flyer died earlier this year and her final two foals are a Rebel Raider colt that made $20,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Sale this year and a weanling filly by Master of Design.

Happy Trails’ future up in the air

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Whether $3 million earner Happy Trails adds to his 31 Group One appearances will be determined in the coming weeks.

Happy Trails returned to work on June 1 and trainer Paul Beshara said although he would like the rising nine-year-old to race on this spring, he and the horse’s owner were also prepared for the grand campaigner’s retirement.

Beshara said the triple Group One winner had done some work on a water walker and been trotting and cantering.

“We’ll start increasing his work and we’ll know over the next six weeks whether he’s competitive enough to race again,” Beshara said.

“We’d like him to but it’s up to him.

“He’s eight years old, rising nine. We’d just like to see how he goes.

“The owner Erica Dickmann has always said to me, `any sign of him not wanting to be there, we’ll just retire him’.”

If everything goes well and Happy Trails is still showing a zest for racing, Beshara says he will appear at another spring carnival.

Reared and sold by Mill Park Stud, Happy Trails has raced at the past six Melbourne spring carnivals and has Group One wins in the 2012 Emirates Stakes, 2013 Turnbull Stakes and 2014 Mackinnon Stakes.

“If he looks all good he’ll definitely have a spring campaign and we might even look at Perth,” Beshara said.

“It all depends on the next six weeks and how he wants to be.”

Among the 31 Group One races Happy Trails has contested during his 61 starts to date, four of those have been in Cox Plates.

For Beshara, Happy Trails has been “a champion”.

“The Group One races he’s run in have just been incredible,” he said.

News from justhorseracing.com.au