Weatherbys Super Sprint
Newbury 14:50
£150,000 added,
2yo only,
5f 34y, Class 2    
Sunday 19th July 2020

SureWIn

1 Happy Romance 100/30F
2 Jojo Rabbit 16/1
3 Soldierpoy 22/1
25 ran NR: Coco Bear Distances: 2¾l, ½l, 1¼l
Time: 1m 0.82s (slow by 1.72s)

Building on her solid fifth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, Happy Romance continued the Hannon family’s dominance of the five-furlong dash, which the Marlborough handler’s father Richard senior claimed seven times ahead of his retirement.

Travelling into the race powerfully for Sean Levey, the well-supported 100-30 favourite quickly pulled clear once putting the afterburners on and crossed the line two and three-quarter lengths clear of Jojo Rabbit.

Hannon said: “She has improved all year and won that very well. If you have a look at her coming out of the gates she got knocked around a fair bit. She is a tough thing. Sean is adamant she wants seven furlongs. It is the owners’ first horse. I met them at Newbury for the first time just standing around.

“We need to keep new people coming into this sport and this is what this race is about. For them it is a lot of prize-money, it’s a big day and it’s on television.”

He added: “She ran very well at Royal Ascot and I thought it was a good Queen Mary. We might go to the Lowther (at York), but she is in a sales race in Ireland. She is definitely Group class.” 

It was a day to remember for first-time owners Ray and Claire McMurray and their son Oliver, who were on hand to see Happy Romance on the track for the first time. 

The former said: “I can’t believe it. Richard Hannon has done a fantastic job and we are living the dream. My son dragged me into this as he phoned me last year saying he had seen a nice yearling through Richard Hannon and I said ‘let’s go for it’.

“It is our first time as owners and it is the first time we have seen the horse on a racecourse as an owner and it has been a great experience so far, even though it is behind closed doors. 

“We were very nervous going into the Queen Mary, but she pushed as hard as she could and did well. We had great expectations coming here today.”

Weatherbys Super Sprint
£150,000 added, 2yo only, 5f 34y, Class 2
25 ran
Going: Good

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (16)     Happy Romance 2 8-5 Richard Hannon Sean Levey 100/30F
2 (22) 2¾ Jojo Rabbit 2 8-9 Archie Watson Hollie Doyle 16/1
3 (21) ½ Soldierpoy 2 8-6 Tom Clover Jason Watson 22/1
4 (1) 1¼ Tinochio 2 8-12 Kevin Ryan Kevin Stott 15/2
5 (13) ½ Kool Moe Dee 2 8-10 Richard Hannon Rossa Ryan 40/1
6 (26) nse Nelson Gay 2 8-8 Richard Hughes Shane Kelly 25/1
7 (4) hd Power On 2 8-9 Paul D'Arcy James Sullivan 125/1
8 (5) hd Brazen Belle 2 8-1 David O'Meara Josephine Gordon 20/1
9 (24) shd Ocean Eyes 2 8-7 Richard Spencer Nicola Currie 80/1
10 (7) hd Cirrus 2 8-8 Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs 40/1
11 (2) hd Talbot 2 9-1 Brian Meehan Martin Dwyer 12/1
12 (14) nk Onaraggatip 2 8-9 Rod Millman Callum Shepherd 150/1
13 (9) ½ Cuban Breeze 2 8-1 Tom Dascombe Jane Elliott 100/1
14 (3) hd Bungledupinblue 2 8-7 George Scott David Egan 50/1
15 (10) hd Risque 2 8-1 Richard Hannon Kieran O'Neill 100/1
16 (25) ¾ Kim Wexler 2 8-1 David Loughnane Jimmy Quinn 40/1
17 (15) 1¼ Get It 2 8-9 Clive Cox Liam Keniry 4/1
18 (6) shd Lullaby Moon 2 8-3 1 Michael Bell Harry Bentley 7/2
19 (8) 3¼ Peerless 2 8-12 Ed Walker Tom Marquand 125/1
20 (11) 1 Aussie Stormer 2 9-1 Richard Hughes Pat Cosgrave 33/1
21 (20) ½ Mahale 2 8-9 Mick Channon Silvestre De Sousa 33/1
22 (17) 2 Enduring 2 8-7 Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop 25/1
23 (18) ¾ Disco Beats 2 8-9 John Quinn Joe Fanning 66/1
24 (12) 7 Rishworthian 2 8-7 David O'Meara Shane Gray 50/1
25 (23) 9 Gizza Job 2 8-1 Michael Mullineaux George Rooke 200/1
NR 13 (19) Coco Bear 2 8-8 Eve Johnson Houghton NON RUNNER