The story so far has been one of bad luck rather than lack of ability. After finishing at the back of the field on his first two outings, Hanmer discovered the horse had a wind problem and had an operation to fix it. Then, on his very next run, Harrison fractured a joint — the kind of setback that can end a career before it has properly begun. He has had time off to recover, and Hanmer describes him as working really nicely heading back into action.
Finishing ninth, fifth, tenth, and seventh across his four races tells you this is a horse that has rarely threatened to trouble the judge — but fifth place at least hints at some ability surfacing once the physical problems started to be addressed. The wind surgery and the injury mean Happy Harrison has effectively never had a clean, healthy run at racing. In that sense, his record of zero wins from four races is almost misleading: this horse has barely had a fair chance to show what he can do.
Hanmer's yard at Tattenhall in Cheshire has hit the ground running this season, sending out 19 winners — a healthy total that speaks to a team in form and confident in their horses. When a trainer like that singles out a horse as a potential dark horse, it is worth paying attention. Hanmer raced just yesterday, so he is very much in training mode and clearly viewing Happy Harrison's next run with genuine optimism rather than just hoping for the best.
The truth is that Happy Harrison is a project rather than a proven performer. At six years old, the clock is not exactly on his side, and he has a lot
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 15 Nov | 0% |
| Worcester Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 13 May | 0% |
| Bangor-on-Dee Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 23 May | 0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 7 Jul | 0% |