Date posted March 15, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Danzero,
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Racing and BreedingMelbourne, Vic (March 15th, 2010) - The other Group I feature on the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby card at Sha Tin was the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and it produced an equally superb finish between Happy Zero and Fellowship.
A son of Arrowfield stallion, Danzero, Happy Zero appeared as though the runner-up was going to gun him down with 50m to go. But his rider, Darren Beadman, wasn’t going to have that and asked the brown gelding for more and he responsed, and although Zac Purton got Fellowship (O’Reilly - Mystical Flight) almost level a few strides from the post, the pair just would not let him get past, and maintained their short head advantage at the post.
Sunny King (Desert Sun - Princess Mood) was another 3-1/4 lengths away in third.
Happy Zero is trained by John Moore, who has always held a high opinion of the International Sprint Trial winner, to continue his great success in Hong Kong. Moore has the Champions Mile in April (25th) pencilled in for Happy Zero and if all goes well he’ll consider a tilt at the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.
Happy Zero claims his first win at the elite level at Sha Tin on Sunday
Owned by David Boehm, who was thrilled to claim his first Group 1 success, told the Hong Kong Jockey Club - “the win is still sinking in - and to think we are now considering going to England for the Golden Jubilee to take on the best horses in the world. It really shows Hong Kong is on the map internationally.”
Happy Zero is out of Have Love (by Canny Lad) and he was selected out of the Widden Stud (as agent) draft at the 2006 William Inglis Easter yearling sale when knocked down to Surefire Limited for $425,000.
A maiden winner, Have Love, does have some black-type on her resume when third as a juvenile in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes. Happy Zero is her first stakes winner. They descend from a family that’s produced the Group I winner, Uncle Remus (by Bandmaster).
At the forthcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale Danzero will be represented by nine yearlings including two fillies with close connections to winners at the elite level.
The first filly to be offered, on day one, is a close relation to the Hong Kong International Mile winner, The Duke (by Danehill), and will be offered by Yarraman Park Stud and is catalogued as, lot 43. The other is catalogued as, lot 77, and is a half-sister to the Group I Blue Diamond winner, True Jewels (by Brief Truce) and will be offered on account of Corumbene Stud.
The sale runs from Tuesday, April 6th through to Thursday, April 8th.
