Bought
as a replacement for a top-class Hong Kong galloper, this winning debutant has
had his Asian debut delayed and will instead "go through the grades" in Australia.
Snitzel three-year-old, Happy Bubbles races in the same ownership as Hong Kong
sprinter Lucky Bubbles and was purchased at last year's Inglis Premier Yearling
Sale with a view to replacing that horse when he retires.
A winner of the Group One HK Chairman's Sprint Prize in May last year, Lucky
Bubbles went winless in the last racing season, but it has been decided the
seven year-old will race on when racing commences there next month.
That means Happy Bubbles must cool his heels here and trainer Gerald Ryan didn't
sound too disappointed after he made an impressive winning debut, overcoming
trouble in the straight to prove a cut above his rivals over the 900m at Newcastle.
"We'll look after him," said Ryan.
"He's a nice enough horse to go through the grades."
Happy Bubbles cost $185,000 from the draft of Rosemont Stud and is the third
foal, and third winner, for the Choisir mare Jesse's Girl, which finished stakes
placed four times in the Group Two BRC Sires' Produce Stks, and
Group Three Thoroughbred Club Stks, MVRC Champagne Stks and Dequetteville Stks.
Jesse's Girl is a full-sister to former multiple
stakes winning speedster Eloping and a half-sister to two-year-old stakes
winner Of The Brave.
She has a two-year-old by Sepoy, a yearling by Vancouver and was served by
American Pharoah last season.