Fairytale third cup for Beast From The East

By Jonny Turner

Robyns Playboy made a fairytale return to southern harness racing when winning his third Tuapeka Cup at Ascot Park yesterday for an elated Wilson family.

Father and son trainers Ross and Chris Wilson had the pacer known to his fans as ‘The Beast From The East’ finely tuned to produce a dream result following a nightmare last twelve months on the track.

Robyns Playboy took out his third Tuapeka feature in his first start since returning from Australia, which was meant to be where he saw out his racing days.

For reasons not completely known, the pacer couldn’t show true worth in Australia but he confirmed he had lost none of his class when producing arguably his biggest Tuapeka Cup win for driver Craig Ferguson.

“That was brilliant, it is good to have a nice horse again,” Ross Wilson said.

“We haven’t had much luck this year.”

“This is what it is all about, it’s not about the money it is about racing nice horses and getting results.”

Robyns Playboy had shown the Wilsons in his work that he was ready to return on a good note in yesterday’s feature.

But the horse’s racing in Australia added a question mark over whether he could recapture his best form.

When the six-year-old cleared out to beat a field that had had the benefit of plenty of recent racing, he cleared up any doubts.

“It is so good to have him back, he went super today, we are real, real happy,” Chris Wilson said.

“He really blossomed the last two or three weeks, his work has been super.”

“He tries to kick you and bite you and squash you and all those things that he used to do when he was at his best.”

“It is just good to have him back and hopefully he can keep pushing on from here because it was a super win.”

“Craig said he did it pretty well.”

Robyns Playboy made a brilliant beginning from his 15m handicap with Ferguson immediately able to secure a perfect run in the trail.

Adding even more to an already remarkable comeback, the pacer made that standing start flyer in his first attempt from behind the tapes in a race or trial since last year’s New Zealand Cup.

Robyn’s Playboy is raced by Ross Wilson and his three children – Chris and Rob Wilson and Monica McLeod – alongside their partners, as well as his wife Yvonne.

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