The biggest cheer on Day One of The Championships at Randwick was reserved for Pat Webster's grand performer Happy Clapper, a dominant winner of the $3,000,000 Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) in race record time.
Runner-up in the previous two Doncasters (behind Winx in 2016 and It's Somewhat on a heavy track last year), Happy Clapper is racing in career best form and Shinn gave him a special ride.
Sitting third on the fence as Arbeitsam and Tom Melbourne cut out the early running, Shinn took the shortcut on the home turn and he had a lapful of
Keeping up a relentless gallop, Happy Clapper defeated Comin' Through (Fastnet Rock) by two lengths with Arbeitsam (Snitzel) a half-length back in third. (photos Steve Hart).
Winner of the Group 1 Epsom Handicap last year and the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes at Randwick before stretching the neck of Winx in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at his most recent start, Happy Clapper advances his record to 11 wins, 9 seconds and 3 thirds from 34 starts with earnings of $5,945,050.
"Give me a race, you can have the Golden Slipper, have the Cox Plate, It might have been because we drank at the Doncaster when we were kids but the Doncaster was always the race you wanted to win.
"He's been a great horse to me. You don't describe him as a champion but if you took the mare (Winx) away, look at what he's done."
Webster said Happy Clapper likely to take on Winx again next week in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
"It's 570 (thousand dollars) for running second and I'm going that bad that the ants have left home so we'll go there again," Webster joked.
Shinn was equally as excited to win his first Doncaster.
"That is amazing, I have just won a Doncaster, I have watched this race for so many years growing up and to finally win it and on the people's champ 'The Clapper'," Shinn said.
"To win a Doncaster and put my name in the history books with this horse, who deserves it, is very special."
"He is so brave this horse, he is honest, he is tenacious and tough, well done to Pat Webster and the team this is what it is all about."
A homebred for Michael Thomas, Happy Clapper is the fifth foal of the Encosta de Lago mare Busking, who was purchased for $13,000 by Thomas from the Darley Stud draft at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne March Thoroughbred Sale.
Busking won just one of her 16 starts but she was a half-sister to Pat Webster's dual Group III winner and Group 1 Galaxy Stakes runner-up Thankgodyou'rehere (Secret Savings).
At the time of her sale, Busking was carrying Happy Clapper.
Happy Clapper is one of five winners from as many to race out of Busking, who is also the dam of the multiple stakes-placed Commands mare Gig who was sold at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale for $300,000.
Busking has a 3yo full-brother to Happy Clapper, a 2-year-old colt by Not A Single Doubt that sold Ciaron Maher Racing for $280,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale.
Sadly, Busking died in January this year. Her final
A 7yo gelding, Happy Clapper is a son of Darley Stud's world-class stallion Teofilo(IRE) who covered 76 mares last spring at a fee of $44,000.
