Neville Parnham has built an unrivalled record with Playing God and this week’s profile on Northam winner Champeze underlined his rapport with the breed.

Another trainer with an excellent Playing God strike-rate is Mitch Pateman.  He has prepared four individual winners by the Darling View champion and the first three have been good enough to earn black-type for his clients.

Feels Playful beat the boys in last year’s LR Challenge Stakes and she was followed by G3 R J Peters Stakes winner Mojo Rhythm and LR Belgravia Stakes runner-up Almighty Class.

Play The Bluff is the fourth Playing God to salute for Pateman following a debut victory in the Silverado Maiden Plate (1208m) at Bunbury earlier this month.  Settling in the back-half of the field for Jarrad Noske, he circled the field and galloped clear by more than two lengths.

Play The Bluff (3c Playing God – Ace’it Annie by Teofilo) was bred by Misty Valley Thoroughbreds owner Tony Patrizi from a daughter of Melbourne-winning mare All About Annie (Peintre Celebre).  He’s bred to get over ground for Distinct Racing’s Geoff Evans who bought him for a bargain $27,500 through agent John Chalmers at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions.

Meanwhile, Feels Playful has been catalogued as Lot 288 for the Inglis July (Late) Digital Sale that closes on Wednesday, 24 July.  She had been sidelined since October 2023 and Pateman put her back in work for a quick winter prep, however, she went amiss again in the race won by Celebrity Prince at Belmont last month.

“She’s big and strong and is as tough as nails,” Pateman said after the Challenge Stakes.  “That’s typical of the Playing Gods.  She’s earned over $300,000 and I would like a stable full of them!”

As a black-type winning daughter of Playing God, she has enormous residual value.  Her older half-sister to Feels Danish (Danehill Express) was runner-up in G3 WA Oaks of 2022 and another bonus is an EPONA breeding credit worth $10,000.