Playboy retires

Southern harness racing pacer Pembrook Playboy (Bettor’s Delight) has been retired.

“He’s been battling injury all the time. He’s been a good horse to us so we decided to do the right thing and put him in the paddock,” trainer Nathan Williamson said.

Owned by Chris Alcock, when the gelding last started at Addington on December 10^th in the G3 Summer Cup he hadn’t won a race since May 2021.

Throughout his forty two race career he started in Group or Listed company twenty seven times for four wins, five seconds, four thirds and four fourths.

His Group wins included the G3 Northern Southland Cup, the G3 Summer Cup at Addington, the G3 Invercargill Cup and the G3 Central Otago Trotting Cup. He ran second in the G3 Northern Southland Cup, G2 Kaikoura Cup, G3 Invercargill Cup, G2 Canterbury Classic, and G3 Southern Supremacy Stakes.

Williamson labelled his win in the 2021 Northern Southland Cup as his most satisfying victory with the gelding.

“It was billed as a bit of a match race between him and U May Cullect and he showed how good he was that day. He went 3-17 from the 2700 metre stand which was a race, track and Southland record and just outside the New Zealand record (Copy That 3-16.0).”

Their biggest disappointment was having to scratch the horse in the 2021 New Zealand Cup.

“He really was in the zone leading into that race and I’m sure he would have been a big factor had he not injured himself. Ever since then we’ve been battling niggles and injuries, and I don’t think he’s been at his best since then.”

His best season was as a four year old when he started eighteen times for seven wins, three seconds and four thirds.

His overall race record was 42-11-8-8 and $213,225.

Pembrook Playboy was a wonderful horse.

Meanwhile Williamson’s other tightly accessed pacer Sand Wave (Somebeachsomewhere) is over his injury scare and set to take his place in Sunday’s Wairio Cup.

“He pulled by scratchy after the Northern Southland Cup. We got him checked out and he’s got a bit of wear and tear in a fetlock joint. We’ve had him treated and he seems good. We’ll line him up in the Cup but it won’t be easy for him off a large handicap.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink