The Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale leaderboard underlined the gulf between Playing God and rest of Western Australia’s stallion ranks on Thursday.
Playing God smashed the record for a yearling sold in Perth when Melbourne bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills paid $625,000 for his filly out of Oratorio mare Cosmah Domination (Lot 44). The Darling View Thoroughbreds champion had four lots among the Top 10 sales on Day 1 – no other locally-based sire appeared on that list.
His top-priced filly was catalogued by Mungrup Pty Ltd owner Gray Williamson who stood Playing God prior to the dispersal of his Great Southern stud in August 2020.
She is a full-sister to G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) winner Bustler and a half-sister to G2 WA Guineas (1600m) runner-up A Lot Of Good Men (A Lot).
“Playing God has gone ahead in leaps and bounds,” Williamson said. “Once a few more of his stock get over east, buyers will start coming over specifically to get them.
“It’s already started and I couldn’t believe it when bidding climbed to more than $600,000 for our filly. I thought she would fetch about $400,000.
“There’s so many things that can go wrong along the way, but she’s been straight-forward right from the start. She did all the parades like a trooper and she sold herself, she’s that good.
“It’s a great promotion for WA thoroughbred breeding that she’s going interstate. She’s powerful and relaxed and is the most impressive yearling I’ve offered in many years of selling.”
Mills was pushed all the way to land the filly from a competitive field of bidders that included Bustler’s trainer Neville Parnham. “I haven’t seen a better physical specimen this year,” he said. “We had a pretty good go on a couple at the Gold Coast and in New Zealand and I would be surprised if I saw a better.
Later on Thursday, Parnham purchased the full-brother to G2 WA Guineas (1600m) winner Zipaway for $350,000 through Premium Bloodstock’s Grant Burns from Western Breeders Alliance. “Neville knows the family well and he’s been bought for a syndicate of locals and we’re pretty happy to get him,” Burns said. “Playing God is a terrific stallion and this one a nice, big horse.”
Across Day 1 there were 143 lots sold with across-the-board records for turnover ($14.18 million) and average ($99,178). The clearance rate currently sits at 79%.
“It was a great session,” Magic Millions WA Manager David Houston said. “The interstate buyers were very strong today. They’ve already bought 23 horses just on the first day as opposed to 13 across the whole sale last year. That’s a tremendous investment, particularly by some of the leading players in the industry from the east.
“I am just thrilled for the industry in WA that they are getting such recognition and such support and we can only go ahead from here.” Day 2 of the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale will commence at 10am (WA time) on Friday.
DAY 1 TOP SELLERS
$625,000 – Playing God-Cosmah Domination filly (Lot 41)
Vendor: Mungrup P/L / Buyer: Sheamus Mills (Vic)
$375,000 – Brazen Beau-Burgoyne colt (Lot 26)
Yarradale Stud / Williams Racing
$350,000 – Playing God-Boutique colt (Lot 24)
Western Breeders Alliance / Premium B’stock
$250,000 – Playing God-Precious Cargo filly (Lot 137)
J Farms (As Agent) / China Horse Club (Singapore)
$250,000 – Zoustar-Run All Night filly (Lot 152)
Ridgeport Holdings / Kennewell Racing