Happiness impresses in Craven

King Of Happiness (9-4) ran out a convincing winner of the Macau Jockey Club Craven Stakes at Newmarket today.

It was a seventh success for Sir Michael Stoute in the Group Three race regarded as the most important trial for the Sagitta 2000 Guineas.

King Of Happiness, 9-4 favourite today, was already only 10-1 for the colts` classic this morning after winning his only start as a two-year-old and he showed that he was no talking horse by putting up an impressive display.

Sent on by Kieren Fallon, who was winning the Craven for the first time, over two furlongs out, the son of Spinning World drew clear up the hill to defeat the Aidan O`Brien-trained Della Francesca (11-4) by two lengths.

Sweet Band (7-1) was a length and a quarter further away third. Compton Dragon, who had looked a big danger over a furlong out, could finish only fourth.

Fallon is now looking forward to a possible third successive triumph in the 2000 Guineas after winning the last two runnings on the Stoute pair King`s Best and Golan.

He said: 'He`s a very good horse and he`s showed that in his work at home. If we can get him in the same condition come Guineas day and just keep him right,' said Fallon.

'We knew he would stay and it was a nice gallop. I went a bit sooner than I wanted to and when I asked him he moved quickly. He`s done it well. The key to this horse is the ground. We want a decent bit of ground for the Guineas and hopefully we`ll get him in the same condition as he is now.'

King Of Happiness is now 4-1 second favourite from 9-1 for the 2000 Guineas with Coral.

Stoute and Fallon had also been on the mark earlier in the day when landing the opening Swaffham Handicap with Balakheri.

The winner was sent off 7-2 favourite and he gave his backers few anxious moments, easing to the front over a furlong under Johnny Murtagh and coming home a comfortable three lengths clear of runner-up Gold Point.

Balakheri is entered in both the Dante Stakes and the Derby but Stoute played down Classic thoughts.

'He has just won a handicap off 87 so we will have to have a think but there is no plan for him,' the trainer said.

'He did it smoothly. Last year he was racing on very soft ground but he prrefers a better surface like today`s.'

Fellow Derby entry Right Approach, touted for Epsom ever since he won a Newmarket conditions race and finished second at Kempton in The Queen`s colours last season, could reappear next week.

'He may run at Sandown next Friday, he will work this weekend and then we will decide,' Stoute said.

'He is a nice horse but he has got a bit to find to be a top-class horse.'

Playapart entered the long-term picture for the Vodafone Derby when showing a neat turn of foot to win the Feilden Stakes.

The Ed Dunlop-trained Wahchi tried to steal the Listed prize when Richard Hills kicked on at the two-furlong pole.

But Eddie Ahern, riding the 6-1 winner for his new boss Gerard Butler, was wise to the move and switching his mount round to make a challenge, went on to score by three-quarters of a length.

Northern raider Bollin Eric stayed on dourly from off the pace to finish a neck back in third.

Next month`s Victor Chandler Chester Vase is the next target for Playapart.

'He`s a nice horse with a nice nature,' said Butler. 'He always works well, we took him to Lingfield for a spin last month and he went very well.

'We`ll look at Chester for him next, probably the Vase, before we think about Epsom.'

Ahern, 24, was enjoying his first pattern-race success since moving to England to take up the position as Butler`s stable jockey at the start of the year.

Victor Chandler and Paddy Power offer 40-1 about the winner`s Epsom prospects. More impressed, the Tote sliced his Derby odds from 50-1 to 20-1.