Former Palmaday Stud stallion King Of Happiness sired a winner with his first starter when Elite Ruler scored a barrier-to-box victory in the Coates 2YO Hcp (1000m) at Coffs Harbour on Tuesday.

Elite Ruler (2g King Of Happiness – Elite Encore by King’s Theatre) is part-owned and prepared by local trainer Trevor Hardy.  He also trained the dam to a win at Coffs in November 2002 for the same connections.

King Of Happiness died in July 2009 after covering 133 mares in three seasons at Palmaday.  He has 41 two year-olds in his first crop.

King Of Happiness (Spinning World) was bred by the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Holdings from the French G3 winning Nijinsky mare Mystery Rays.  He was raced by Saeed Suhail and was a G3 winner of the Craven Stakes (G3) at Newmarket before relocating to California where he added the G3 Inglewood Handicap (G3) at Hollywood Park.

Palmaday Farm was re-launched as Secret Hills Farms a couple of months before King Of Happiness died.  The revamped line-up was also missing Medecis (Machiavellian).  He sired Coffs Harbour trained colt One Lickety Split to a Listed victory in the Golden Stakes at Doomben in May.

The new-look Secret Hills Farms roster for 2009 was headed by former boom juvenile Exceedingly Good.  He was the first son of Exceed and Excel to stand at stud and covered a book of 70 mares.

New owners John and Janette Doherty also stood Minardi (Boundary) and Dr Green (Fusaichi Pegasus) at the Queensland based property which is nestled in the Cryna Valley 8km south of Beaudesert.