Al Quoz aim for Hannon’s Happy Romance

Riyadh runner-up heading to Dubai.

Bargain-buy Happy Romance is set to continue her money-spinning ways in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.

The daughter of Dandy Man finished half a length behind Songline in the Group Three 1351 Turf Sprint in Riyadh on her latest start.

Happy Romance, who won the Weatherbys Super Sprint as a juvenile and the Group Three Hackwood Stakes at Newbury last season, took her earnings to over GBP 400,000 with her latest near-miss.

Richard Hannon’s purchasing gurus, Ross and Peter Doyle, picked up the filly for GBP 25,000 at the Goffs UK Premier yearlings sale and she has gone on to win six of her 16 starts for first-time owners, Basingstoke-based husband and wife Ray and Claire McMurray, and their son, Oliver.

The filly, who was purchased with the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary in mind, is now set for the $1million Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on World Cup night.

She is expected to take on the might of Charlie Appleby’s Group One winner Creative Force and Saturday’s impressive Group Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint winner Man Of Promise.

Hannon said: “Happy Romance ran a blinder in Riyadh. She has come back and is in good form and she will go for the Al Quoz.

“I don’t really know what the plan is after that. We’ll get her back and plot races from there. We’ll see how she gets on in Dubai and once she is right, we’ll look for the next one.”

She will drop back from seven furlongs to the six-furlong trip that she has won over on four occasions on her next outing.

“I always thought she would get seven furlongs,” said Hannon. “She is extremely capable over both six and seven furlongs and that will give her plenty of options again this season. She is a smashing filly.”

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