Top weight for the 2018 Epsom Handicap Happy Clapper is out for the Spring Carnival following his unplaced run in the Group 1 $750,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday.

Happy Clapper was on target to score back to back wins in the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on September 29 but will now be off the scene for three months after bleeding from both nostrils when finishing a brave fifth behind Grunt.

The Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper has become the King of the Randwick Mile and as well as winning last year’s Epsom Handicap, scored a two lengths victory in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick during the 2018 Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Webster will monitor Happy Clapper’s recovery and if he feels the eight year old has returned to his best, he will be set for a 2019 Autumn Carnival campaign.

“He will now have a good spell, which he deserves, and I do think he will come back for the autumn,” Webster told Racenet.

“But in saying that the owner is a great person in the fact that the horse always comes first.

“If there is one inkling of any issues or if he gives us any indication he has lost his zest for racing then he will be retired.”

The Joe Pride trained New Tipperary will now carry 51kg in the Epsom Handicap after being penalise 1kg for his win in the Group 3 $160,000 Australian Bloodstock Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle on September 14.

“I’m pretty confident he gets a run in the Epsom off the back of that. It’s not his favourite track, Randwick but I’ll have at look at it and see if it’s the appropriate race and timing after this run,” Pride said.

The Chris Waller trained D’Argento, with 53.5kg, is the $4.50 favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au for the Epsom Handicap just ahead of his stablemate Unforgotten (52.5kg) at $5.50, Pierata (54kg) at $8 and Kementari (55.5kg) at $10 while New Tipperary is one of the outsiders at $31.

Early betting for the 2018 Epsom Handicap at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.50 D’Argento, $5.50 Unforgotten, $8 Pierata, $10 Kementari, $12 Comin’ Through, Lanciato, Le Romain, $14 Egg Tart, $16 Best Of Days, I Am Serious, Siege Of Quebec, $21 Humidor, Invictus Prince, Kaonic, $26 Arbeitsam, Champagne Cuddles, Dixie Blossoms, Invincibella, It’s Somewhat, Muraaqeb, Paret, Tom Melbourne, Widgee Turf, $31 New Tipperary, Prized Icon, $34 or better the rest.

Weights for 2018 Epsom Handicap (1600m)

#	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	True Weight	Hcp Rating
1	x312561x16	COMIN’ THROUGH	G	5	Chris Waller	1	56.5kg	56.5kg	112
2	62x1213x75	HAPPY CLAPPER	G	8	Patrick Webster	2	59.5kg	59.5kg	118
3	0x4184x817	HUMIDOR (NZ)	G	6	Darren Weir	3	59kg	59kg	117
4	x74232x172	LE ROMAIN	G	6	Kris Lees	4	58kg	58kg	115
5	90x1304x24	HARTNELL (GB)	G	8	James Cummings	5	57kg	57kg	113
6	335x695x75	IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA)	G	8	James Cummings	6	56.5kg	56.5kg	112
7	11130×2424	KEMENTARI	H	4	James Cummings	7	55.5kg	55.5kg	110
8	63x27314x0	MR MOONLIGHT MAGIC (GB)	H	6	James Cummings	8=	55kg	55kg	109
9	361x8899x0	SENSE OF OCCASION	G	8	Kris Lees	8=	55kg	55kg	109
10	x076x462x4	SHILLELAGH (NZ)	M	7	Chris Waller	8=	53kg	53kg	109
11	143x1636x3	DIXIE BLOSSOMS	M	6	Ron Quinton	11=	52.5kg	52.5kg	108
12	x400521x53	EGG TART	M	5	Chris Waller	11=	52.5kg	52.5kg	108
13	20x22525x0	SINGLE GAZE	M	6	Chris Waller	11=	52.5kg	52.5kg	108
14	11x0121x61	UNFORGOTTEN	M	4	Chris Waller	11=	52.5kg	52.5kg	108
15	x121122x12	PIERATA	H	4	Gregory Hickman	15=	54kg	54kg	107
16	5x384850x6	FOXPLAY	M	5	Chris Waller	15=	52kg	52kg	107
17	41x43215x1	INVINCIBELLA	M	5	Chris Waller	15=	52kg	52kg	107
18	1x13714x32	D’ARGENTO	H	4	Chris Waller	18=	53.5kg	53.5kg	106
19	3x1111x581	GRUNT (NZ)	H	4	Mick Price	18=	53.5kg	53.5kg	106
20	00x1x0x853	MUSIC MAGNATE (NZ)	G	7	Bjorn Baker	18=	53.5kg	53.5kg	106
21	x577421x04	DUCA VALENTINOIS (IRE)	G	7	James Cummings	21=	53kg	53kg	105
22	222x1330x3	CHAMPAGNE CUDDLES	M	4	Bjorn Baker	21=	51kg	51kg	105
23	22x9131x40	SEDANZER	M	5	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	21=	51kg	51kg	105
24	4205138×46	ARBEITSAM	G	5	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
25	741x780x00	MIGHTY BOSS	H	4	Mick Price	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
26	5×23095611	MISTER SEA WOLF (IRE)	G	7	Chris Waller	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
27	242630×355	PRIZED ICON	H	5	Kris Lees	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
28	1x22x04766	RELIGIFY	G	8	Chris Waller	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
29	1131271232	WIDGEE TURF	G	5	Patrick Payne	24=	52.5kg	52.5kg	104
30	1x3326x111	AVILIUS (GB)	G	5	James Cummings	30=	52kg	52kg	103
31	1x31117x48	LANCIATO (NZ)	G	6	Mark Newnham	30=	52kg	52kg	103
32	4270x0172x	SOVEREIGN NATION	G	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	30=	52kg	52kg	103
33	0x446x5x15	LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ)	M	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	30=	50kg	50kg	103
34	x533x98x06	DANON LIBERTY (JPN)	H	7	Darren Weir	34=	51.5kg	51.5kg	102
35	20x93116x5	LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE)	G	7	Chris Waller	34=	51.5kg	51.5kg	102
36	0x25828x26	TOM MELBOURNE (IRE)	G	8	Chris Waller	34=	51.5kg	51.5kg	102
37	3613975×50	I AM COLDPLAY (NZ)	M	6	Chris Waller	34=	50kg	50kg	102
38	111329×102	DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR	G	6	Tony McEvoy	38=	51kg	51kg	101
39	821x0918x4	FASTNET TEMPEST (IRE)	G	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	38=	51kg	51kg	101
40	722x240x92	RED EXCITEMENT	G	9	Gerald Ryan	38=	51kg	51kg	101
41	x38x947x00	SATONO RASEN (JPN)	H	7	Chris Waller	38=	51kg	51kg	101
42	1112x412x2	NOIRE	M	5	Chris Waller	38=	50kg	50kg	101
43	4x31591x3	SEABROOK (NZ)	F	3	Mick Price	38=	48kg	48kg	101
44	1x11820x50	CABEZA DE VACA	G	7	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	44=	50kg	50kg	99
45	x3620x4025	INVICTUS PRINCE (GB)	G	6	Matthew Smith	44=	50kg	50kg	99
46	412141×213	NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ)	G	5	Darren Weir	44=	50kg	50kg	99
47	x6537513x5	KINGSGUARD (NZ)	G	6	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	47=	50kg	50kg	98
48	2x1295x271	SIEGE OF QUEBEC	H	4	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	47=	50kg	50kg	98
49	1x7121x223	I AM SERIOUS	M	5	Chris Waller	49=	50kg	50kg	97
50	5658221006	JACQUINOT BAY	G	11	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	49=	50kg	50kg	97
51	111x31x310	PLEIN CIEL (GER)	G	6	Darren Weir	49=	50kg	50kg	97
52	025x2347x8	RADIPOLE (IRE)	G	6	Michael Moroney	49=	50kg	50kg	97
53	20x2220x89	SAMOVARE	M	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	49=	50kg	50kg	97
54	39×7005378	TESTASHADOW	G	7	Gary Portelli	49=	50kg	50kg	97
55	x020540258	RHYTHM TO SPARE (NZ)	G	9	Michael Moroney	55=	50kg	50kg	96
56	x77326x976	SEABURGE	H	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	55=	50kg	50kg	96
57	26x2811x37	SAMBRO	G	4	Chris Waller	57=	50kg	50kg	95
58	31124×0978	SHOW A STAR	G	7	Bjorn Baker	57=	50kg	50kg	95
59	74340×0000	EMBLEY	G	7	Bjorn Baker	59=	50kg	50kg	94
60	39x15233x6	HOLY SNOW	H	4	Mick Price	59=	50kg	50kg	94
61	39x85306x9	PETROLOGY	G	7	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	59=	50kg	50kg	94
62	13173x5x60	POETIC DREAM (IRE)	G	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	59=	50kg	50kg	94
63	2x8x150x60	SEVENTH UP (NZ)	G	8	Shelley Hale	59=	50kg	50kg	94
64	413224513x	TORGERSEN (NZ)	G	6	Chris Waller	59=	50kg	50kg	94
65	525x546x51	NEW TIPPERARY	G	6	Joseph Pride	65=	51kg (1kg Pen)	50kg	93
66	2217x11x12	SAVATIANO	M	4	James Cummings	65=	50kg	50kg	93
67	11450×5528	SIR PLUSH (NZ)	G	6	Bjorn Baker	65=	50kg	50kg	93
68	x03438x713	BEST OF DAYS (GB)	H	5	James Cummings	68	50kg	50kg	92
69	1x6260x114	KAONIC (NZ)	H	4	Chris Waller	69	50kg	50kg	91
70	12235×2	SHUMOOKH	M	4	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	70	50kg	50kg	90
71	2131222×42	ANOTHER DOLLAR (NZ)	M	4	Chris Waller	71=	50kg	50kg	89
72	8326×00313	GOODFELLA	H	4	Bjorn Baker	71=	50kg	50kg	89
73	336717×631	MURAAQEB	H	4	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	73=	50kg	50kg	88
74	7433923×39	NETTOYER	M	5	Wendy Roche	73=	50kg	50kg	88
75	x0658x0770	SALSONIC	G	5	Jason Coyle	73=	50kg	50kg	88
76	11x1012x16	DON’T GIVE A DAMN	G	5	Danny Williams	76	50kg	50kg	86
77	5x2124x606	INSTANT DE REVE (FR)	G	6	Chris Waller	77=	50kg	50kg	84
78	x568x31117	PARET	G	4	Chris Waller	77=	50kg	50kg	84
79	14312533×8	ROMANCER (NZ)	G	5	Darren Weir	79	50kg	50kg	82
80	14x1143x34	RENEWAL	G	4	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	80	50kg	50kg	77
81	520634x31x	FIERCE IMPACT (JPN)	H	5	Matthew Smith	81=	50kg	50kg	76
82	4x612825x0	TOP OF THE RANGE (NZ)	G	5	Michael Moroney	81=	50kg	50kg	76
83	21219	MASTER ASH	C	3	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	81=	48kg	48kg	76
84	2x56x430x8	MEROVEE	H	4	Chris Waller	84=	50kg	50kg	70
85	23x22872x1	PRIMITIVO	G	4	John P Thompson	84=	50kg	50kg	70
86	1x3431x767	WHOSYOURHOUSEMATE (GB)	G	5	Michael Moroney	86=	50kg	50kg	67
87	2x3x411x24	FIGHTING HARADA	C	3	Mick Price	86=	48kg	48kg	67
88	6957×123	TAVISAN (NZ)	C	3	Mick Price	86=	48kg	48kg	67