It was an upset Craven Plate 2017 result in the race proceeding the action of The Everest with the in-form Gary Moore-trained Classic Uniform holding off the odds-on favourite Happy Clapper for an all-the-way win in the half a million dollar feature.

Classic Uniform enjoyed an upset Craven Plate 2017 win over the odds-on favourite on The Everest Day. Photo: Steve Hart.

All the money in betting for this season’s Group 3 $500,000 Craven Plate (2000m) was on the Patrick Webster-trained Happy Clapper after the horse’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) win at the track a fortnight back.

In the end though it was $21 outsider Classic Uniform who took out first prize thanks to a gun ride up front from Tim Clark on the consistent Al Maher gelding.

Five-year-old Classic Uniform came off a Group 2 Hill Stakes (1800m) win on Epsom Day and that proved the form to follow into the Craven Plate over the extra 200m on The Everest Day.

Classic Uniform from the wide barrier did the early work, getting to the lead in front of Embley and He’s Our Rokkii.

Happy Clapper meanwhile was well back in the second half of the field racing towards the 1000m, and the top fancy was still third last approaching the 800m.

Up front Classic Uniform was running even splits, but leading into the turn jockey Blake Shinn got to the outside and got going on Happy Clapper.

Down the straight the top chances were in an even line, including the Chris Waller-trained McCreery up the middle who stuck around for third in the Craven Plate trifecta.

Happy Clapper looked to be really winding-up on the outside, but Classic Uniform wouldn’t back down and gave a nice kick to hold off his better fancied rival in an all-the-way upset.

Shinn just couldn’t get past the front runner on Happy Clapper after giving him too much of a start, riding the Epsom winner very conservatively stepping-up to the 2000m.

Winning hoop Clark rode Classic Uniform for two earlier, unplaced runs this spring before Michael Walker took over in the Hill Stakes, and was thrilled to reunite with the horse for the Craven Plate victory.

“I’m glad to get back on him and glad to win on him, he just wouldn’t lie down,” he said.

“He wanted to hang out quite bad [on the straight] but once he sensed the horses on his outside he really dug in and held them off.”

Happy Clapper could still press onto a clash with Winx in the Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 28 paying $26 after going down over the distance in Sydney.

To check out the updated Cox Plate 2017 odds and other spring racing features in Melbourne now the Sydney majors are done and dusted, visit Ladbrokes.com.au today.

2017 Craven Plate Results & Finishing Order

Randwick Race 9 – 14/10/2017