HARMONY N BLESSED & ALL BEAUTY

22nd Sep 2021

Talented Price Bloodstock sprinter Harmony N Blessed made his triumphant return for the new season with some style on Wednesday night at Happy Valley, claiming a new track record as well as the first prize.

The David Hayes-trained five-year-old’s natural speed ensured that he set a commanding speed in front under Zac Purton and his rivals were struggling to get to him as far from home as the final bend before he stopped the clock at 55.98 seconds – the first horse ever to break 56 seconds at the Valley.

“The other favourite made me earn it early, we were rolling along and he just kept sneaking up underneath me. Obviously, he wanted to make me work, which was to his detriment in the end, but I think it helped my horse,” Purton said. “Just being able to let him roll, he really enjoyed it. He let down really nice. He’s always shown he’s been talented but he was beating himself more times than not by fighting with his riders. Tonight he enjoyed himself.”

Hayes agreed that Harmony N Blessed had not been the complete package in his first campaign but had learned and matured from that.

“He looked very promising last year, but he was just a bit immature – consistent but immature,” he said. “This year, he still has all that great speed but he’s eating better, he’s stronger and I think we’ve got a really good Happy Valley horse. A record holder in fact! It’s always nice to have one of those names in the back of the race book!”

It’s onwards and upwards for Harmony N Blessed, who now has 3 wins and 3 placings from 9 starts and has already banked $3.4 million, with his best ahead of him.