Consistency has its reward for Ozzie Playboy

Only a four-year-old, the gelded son of Pet Rock and the mare Smooth Felicity, capped some solid recent form for trainer Julie Douglas by winning in convincing style over the 1720m distance, with Bendigo's Ellen Tormey in the sulky.

Ozzie Playboy won for the second time at harness racing headquarters this season, his last win coming over the longer 2240m distance on March 26.

He had raced eight times at Melton in nine starts in between those wins for one placing and three fourths.

Tormey hinted the win was likely overdue.

"He's done a super job, he's been racing without much luck, but everything just went perfectly tonight," she said.

"He does seem to like the mile and it's good to get the win.

"Last season he probably struggled to win a three-year-old (race) - he was racing consistently, but he just wasn't finding the line first and he was running a lot of seconds.

"This season he has just gone to another level. To make it down here (to Melton) and win another metro race as a four-year-old, he's done a fantastic job."

Tormey was unable to pinpoint exactly the reason for the four-year-old season improvement in Ozzie Playboy, who's taken 76 starts to whiz past the $100,000 in prize earnings.

"It's just kind of clicked with him. Sometimes they just get down here (to Melton) and the harder racing just really suits them," she said.

"He went around in one of the $20,000 maiden metro races and he's just kept improving ever since."

A model of consistency, Ozzie Playboy has won nine times and been placed 29 times in 76 starts.

He has remarkably raced 43 times since his last spell and finished top five in 32 of those starts.

"It's an amazing record and I guess that's one of the advantages of being at the Douglases, they seem to race for a long time, but get looked after super," Tormey said.

"They are very happy horses - happy to just go around. This horse is proof of that."

Ozzie Playboy's record this season includes five wins and six placings from 21 starts for earnings of $51,350.

The win delivered the Douglas stable its 76th win of the season and 16th at metro level.

For Tormey, it was her 63rd win, consolidating her spot in sixth in the state driver's premiership standings.

Best of the Douglas team's other runners on Saturday night was the former New South Wales pacer Urus, who finished second in the final race on the program, while Shortys Mate and Captain Confetti both finished third.

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