Newly-crowned Champion WA sire Playing God had clinched his first premiership long before siring a winning double on the final day of the city season at Belmont.
Playing God’s 3yo filly Goddess Of Giving and 4yo gelding Currimundi closed a season to remember for the Darling View Thoroughbreds stallion on Saturday.
He sired 43 individual winners of 77 races for earnings over $5.74 million to finish a furlong in front of Blackfriars, Demerit and Trade Fair (GB). The beaten trio are no longer with us which suggests Playing God’s first title won’t be his last.
Season 2022-23 also brought down the curtain on a 12-year sequence of titles by his own sire Blackfriars (Danehill) who commenced a record-breaking run for Scenic Lodge in 2010-11. Fittingly, that was the season Playing God won the first of two Group 1 Kingston Town Classics (1800m) at Ascot.
“Playing God is a freak but, at the same time, it’s humbling to take over from the most successful sire to ever stand in Western Australia,” Darling View Stud Manager Brent Atwell said on Tuesday. “His statistics are phenomenal and sit with highly-esteemed company throughout Australia.
“We didn’t want to put a time on a title but Playing God didn’t break stride winning this one. We also bought I’m All The Talk (Stratum) from Mungrup Stud before its dispersal. He died after just two books here so it hasn’t been all plain sailing.”
Playing God’s rise to the top has been mirrored by year-on-year service fee increases from $16,500 to $27,500 and $33,000. The latest rise puts him on equal footing with Oratorio (Aus) as the most expensive stallion to stand in WA.
Recent Perth Magic Millions Sales have also reflected his popularity with owners and trainers. His Book 1 yearlings sold to $330,000 at an average of $118,800 in 2022 and to $280,000 at an average of $134,000 earlier this year.
Bustler was his chief earner in 2022-23 with prizemoney of $668,200 following wins in the G3 Belmont Sprint and LR Fairetha Stakes plus a half-length second to Amelia’s Jewel in the G2 WA Guineas. The Neville Parnham-trained sprinter-miler was instrumental in Playing God winning the WA 3YO sires’ premiership ($2,808,972) from Universal Ruler and Demerit.
Bustler was one of four individual Stakes-winners by Playing God in 2022-23 which was also the best black-type statistic for a sire in WA. His others were Feels Playful (LR Challenge Stakes), Nerodio (LR Belmont Newmarket) and Playing Marika (LR Grandstand Cup).
There was also an ominous sign for the rest of WA’s stallion ranks when Playing God finished third on the WA 2YO table with promising late-season winners Rope Them In and Investmentstrategy.
Darling View Thoroughbreds is located at Mundijong and Atwell credits Playing God’s success equally to his parents Clive and Trish, his wife Kasey plus all the staff who are about to go on foal watch.
“The first foals by Splintex (Snitzel) are due in the next few weeks and Lightsaber (Zoustar) begins covering his first book next month,” he said. “And we will be kept very busy with Playing God.”