Playoffs trots and wins

Playoffs (Imperial Count) sometimes gets the start wrong, but when he steps away like he did last night at Addington, he generally wins.

Driver Gerard O’Reilly was able to get the six year old away from the unruly and he easily crossed over to lead before handing up to Almighty.

“The whole family have been fast beginners but it’s taken a while for this horse to get his head around things. He does want to do it, but he can get a bit excited early on,” trainer Chris McDowell said.

The pace remained steady and Almighty had an advantage at the top of the straight. But Playoffs used the passing lane, slowly making headway and at the finish got half a length in front of Almighty.

PLAYOFFS REPLAY

“If he keeps doing what he did last night, it’s going to put him in a good spot. He’s got a bit of speed and he’s run some pretty nice quarters at the trials. He’s only trotted the whole way five times and he’s won four. He should win a couple more easily enough.”

Playoffs was bred and is owned by Chris and his father Bruce and is out of their Continentalman mare Playrite, a daughter of Fair Play.

“I got the mare off an old mate of mine Gavin Mills, and she’s a sister to Play On which won the Interdominion.”

Despite being by Vance Hanover, Fair Play was very successful at stud, leaving good trotters Play On (14), Lightning Play (6), Another Play (8) and Thanksforplaying (5).

“Old Gav used to breed her to pacer and trotters. Whatever he bred them to, they did. This mare Playrite got injured as a foal so never really got tried.”

Playoffs qualified as a four year old at Ashburton and had six unplaced runs at that age. He had seven starts last season for a win and so far this season eight starts have yielded three wins.

“He just needed a bit of time to mature physically, now it’s mentally. I’ll give him another two or three starts and I’ll probably put him in a mobile. If he could win another one, he’d probably get in the Harness 5000 and that’s a mobile so he probably needs some practice.”

Playoffs win further highlights the renewed success his sire Imperial Count is having.

Most of his bigger New Zealand winners have been exported to Australia where they’ve been consistent money earners – like Imperial Whiz (25), Monaro Mia (16), Noble Count (13), Imperial Command (11), Imperial Monarch (11) and Success Counts (8).

In New Zealand, unbeaten three year old filly Imperious Girl, another Imperial Count, is flying the flag.

“I was weaning some foals at Roydon Lodge before it got sold off and Imperial Count was there in one of the paddocks. I thought he was quite a good looking horse so that’s the reason I bred a couple of mares to him.”

McDowell has fifteen horses in work at his Leeston base and recently qualified Winfield Kairos, a Majestic Son three year old filly.

“She’s quite a promising filly. She’s the one I’m most excited about.”

She’s out of the Armbro Invasion mare Winfield Invasion which won four of her eleven starts.

At stud she’s left the Group One winning trotter McLovin who won both the Bill Collins Trotters Sprint and Māori Mile. She’s also the dam of Havehorsewilltravel, the winner of twenty nine races including a handful of regional trotting features prior to going to America.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink