Playing God took the lead for his third WA Sires’ premiership when Almighty Class won the Schweppes Hcp (1000m) at Ascot on Saturday.

The Darling View Thoroughbreds champion had inched closer earlier on opening day with Rope Them In and West Star both going down by less than a length before Almighty Class sent him to the top of the table.

Almighty Class (4g Playing God – My Classy Lady by Oratorio) had won the Max Simmonds Stakes at the corresponding meeting last year and followed up with a head second to Super Smink (Super One) in the LR Belgravia Stakes (1400m).

Trainer Mitch Pateman brought him back for an ambitious autumn grand-final in The Quokka (1400m) but he was never sighted in the $5 million slot race won by Sydney raider Overpass (Vancouver).

“I put a boom on him last prep and it’s great to see him back here relaxed and in a rhythm,” Pateman said.  “That was a good field and he monstered them.  He’s a beast when right and I would like to get him out further.  He could bowl along and get them off the bridle.”

Almighty Class was forced to camp in the three-wide line outside the leaders Capital Flight (City Place) and Sonoftheboss (Street Boss) before going clear to defeat Toropa (Toronado) by over a length.

“I sent him forward from the tricky barrier and it wasn’t the smoothest of rides,” Pateman’s partner Holly Watson explained.  “He’s a big, strong horse and it’s best to let him roll into a race.  Mitch has done a great job changing the bridle with a norton bit and that’s taught him to settle.”

Pateman will back him up for a 78 ratings race in a fortnight and another win will justify nominations for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m), G1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) and G3 Gold Rush (1400m) in November – December.

Almighty Class is a homebred for Willaview Park’s Claire Williamson and her partner Col Hunter and they race him with a syndicate of clients from the Great Southern.  “I picked him out of a paddock at Willaview Park,” Pateman recalled after last year’s Max Simmonds Stakes.  “I was down there looking at some other horses with Claire and my cousin Col but I was taken by him.”

He’s the final foal of My Classy Lady (Oratorio), however, Willaview has other members of the family at Narrikup.  Her dam I’m Here To Win (Numerous Times) and younger half-sister Alpha And Omega (Playing God) both have yearling colts by A Lot (USA).

The Playing God – Oratorio cross has generated 35 individual winners at an 83% strike-rate headed by Bustler (G1 Railway Stakes) and Ex Sport Man (G2 Karrakatta Plate).

Darling View Thoroughbreds stands Playing God for $49,500 with Splintex ($11,000) and Lightsaber ($6,600).  Service fees (inc GST).  Stud manager Brent Atwell can be contacted for bookings or more information on 0408 648 100.