'We thought we'd lose a fortune' - Happy owners eyeing Sprint Cup success

The progress of Happy Romance and her first-time owners was one of the stories of the 2020 Flat season, and dreams are alive that she can lower the colours of an illustrious set of rivals in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

The three-year-old filly landed a hat-trick of big-race wins and was a close-up fourth in what proved to be a red-hot Cheveley Park Stakes last season for Oliver McMurray and his parents Ray and Claire, who he signed up as potential owners with trainer Richard Hannon while they were on holiday in Italy.

Happy Romance won her second Group 3 with a last-to-first success in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in July, and McMurray is excited for the return to Group 1 company.

Betfair Sprint Cup card and betting

He said: "We know she's a top of the ground filly and it looks like on this rare occasion we'll get a dry spell on the run up to the Sprint Cup so it's all systems go. We went down to see her do her final bit of work today."

The McMurrays more than trebled their £25,000 outlay in one go when Happy Romance landed yet another Super Sprint for the Hannon team last July – Oliver and Ray's first on-course ownership experience was behind closed doors "with about 15 other owners and you could hear a pin drop" – and they subsequently added to the bankroll at York and Salisbury.

Claire and Ray McMurray return to the Newbury winner's enclosure with Happy Romance after victory in the Group 3 Hackwood StakesCredit: Mark Cranham

"We came into this with the attitude that it would be a nice family thing and we would lose a small fortune over the next two or three years," said McMurray.

"No one could ever imagine it. We've got friends who paid £25,000 for a horse that then got sold to a riding school for £2,000. It's a total parallel universe."

Bookmakers rate Happy Romance a 20-1 shot to add to the fairytale, but she earned a career-best Racing Post Rating of 110 when produced late by Sean Levey to land the Hackwood, a performance connections had seen coming for a while.

"She didn't stay in the Fred Darling but we'd already seen that she'd grown a lot and Sean and Richard confirmed that she'd trained on," said McMurray.

"I think Sandown [when a narrow third to Came From The Dark] was like a comeback race and we knew there was talent there. To see her get her ground at Newbury and then get her head back in front was amazing for all of us."

Creative Force completed a four-timer when landing the Jersey Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Mark Cranham

Godolphin's Creative Force had Happy Romance back in fifth when winning the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury in May and was far from disgraced when beaten two lengths in fifth by Starman in the Darley July Cup.

Jockey William Buick said: "He has done nothing wrong all season and I'm very much looking forward to riding him again on Saturday.

"Starman is a good horse and we are having to take him on again but hopefully we can close the gap a little bit with him this time round."

Betfair Sprint Cup

Betfair 5-4 Starman, 10-3 Creative Force, 13-2 Glen Shiel, 15-2 Art Power, 9 Gustavus Weston, 10 Supremacy, 16 Summerghand, 20 Chil Chil, Happy Romance, Emaraaty Ana, 25 bar

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a three-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday