Cover image courtesy of Darling View Thoroughbreds
The first Group 1 meeting of Western Australia’s The Pinnacles was held on Saturday at Ascot and saw the local breeders and trainers shine.
The $1.5 million G1 Railway S., the feature event, was won sensationally by the Neville Parnham-trained Bustler, a son of the Darling View Thoroughbreds-based Playing God.
Forty minutes before Bustler’s barnstorming success in the Group 1, the Playing God-sired and Parnham-trained Zipaway took out the $500,000 G2 WA Guineas, beating a cracking field of Western Australia’s top 3-year-olds such as Super Smink (Super One) and A Lot Of Good Men (A Lot {USA}).
For Brent Atwell, stud manager of Darling View Thoroughbreds, it was a Saturday one could only dream about, and it was an incredible achievement by their local stalllion Playing God.
“It was unbelievable and quite an emotional afternoon to have the double,” Atwell told The Thoroughbred Report.
“When you put so much into the industry, then you start seeing the rewards. It’s quite humbling to think where it’s all gone and to see Playing God doing such a tremendous job; it’s really just wonderful.”
Railway box ticked
Bustler isn’t the first Group 1 winner for Playing God; his first was the brilliant mare Kay Cee, who took out the G1 Kingston Town Classic S. in 2019 and recently produced a colt by her sire’s barn mate Splintex.
From 221 foals, Playing God has had 157 runners, of which 105 have saluted in 340 races and provided 16 stakes winners. Among them are his two elite-level winners, three Group 2 winners, the talented Western Derby victor Alaskan God and three Group 3 winners. While eight runners have saluted in Listed races.
Playing God has produced 28 stakes-performed gallopers ranging from 2-year-olds to 7-year-olds, marking his incredible versatility.
“He's a very good stallion. Playing God is obviously by Blackfriars, who was an unbelievable sire here. Twelve Western Australian premierships in a row, and this bloke's stats are better than his sire. This shows how brilliantly he’s going and should excel for many years.
Playing God in the paddock | Standing at Darling View Thoroughbreds
“He’s so versatile, he gets winners from 1000 to 2000 metres and beyond. He’s sired 2-year-old stakes winners, 3-year-old stakes winners and beyond. Saturday's Railway S. winner Bustler won a G3 Belmont Sprint in May and is now a mile Group 1 winner,” Atwell said.
“They are just good horses, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Playing God was a class act on the track himself.”
Son of a Friar
Playing God is a son of the late Scenic Lodge-based Blackfriars, who won 12 Western Australian General Sires’ Premierships in a row and left 48 individual stakes winners of 113 stakes races.
He was the 12th foal from the Listed-placed Rubiton mare Dolly Will Do, and a full brother to God Has Spoken, an exceptional galloper himself, winning eight races, including the G2 CB Cox S. and was placed in the G1 Kingston Town Classic S. and twice in the G2 Perth Cup.
Trained by Parnham, Playing God won eight races like his half-brother but scored twice in the G1 Kingston Town Classic, won the G2 Western Australian Guineas, and won the G3 Northerly S.
Playing God when racing | Image courtesy of Darling View Thoroughbreds
Fronting every challenge, Parnham took Playing God to Victoria, where he placed in the G1 Australian Guineas, the G1 Australian Cup, the G1 Turnbull S. and the G1 CF Orr S.
In addition, he was fourth in the G1 Railway S. and third in the Kingston Town Classic, a G1 Futurity and the Makybe Diva S., which was rated as a Group 2.
Brent Atwell | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Playing God was so sound and tough as a racehorse, and that’s exactly what his stock is. He’s a great horse to have on the farm; he’s got a lovely temperament, and his progeny are the same,” Atwell told The Thoroughbred Report.
“Playing God was so sound and tough as a racehorse, and that’s exactly what his stock is... he’s got a lovely temperament, and his progeny are the same.” - Brent Atwell
“Playing God is just very easy going, and every day I say g’day to him, and he’s got his head hanging out the barn and usually his tongue hanging out the side. Neville Parnham comes and sees him on the farm, and he tells us his temperament hasn’t changed since he was a racehorse; he was exactly like that in training.
“He’s a very happy horse and does a wonderful job in the barn and for our farm.”
Bustle and Zip
The Parnham-trained Bustler is the second Group 1 for his sire. The lightly raced 4-year-old gelding has compiled an excellent record from 14 races he’s won seven. Outside of the Railway, he has claimed the G3 Belmont Sprint and the Listed Fairetha S. and is a son of the Oratorio mare Cosmah Domination.
She is also the dam of A Lot Of Good Men (A Lot {USA}), who was denied in the G2 Western Australian Guineas by Bustler’s stablemate Zipaway.
Bustler was an astute purchase by Ruby Racing and Breeding for $32,500 through the Magic Millions 2020 Mungrup Stud Complete Dispersal Online Sale. Ruby Racing and Breeding reoffered the son of the Playing God at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, for which Ridgeport Holdings paid $130,000.
Gallery: Bustler was sold as weanling and a yearling, images courtesy of Magic Millions
The Parnham family-bred and -owned Zipaway has won three of his seven starts, with his most significant success coming on Saturday, but earlier in his career, he finished fourth in the Listed Fairetha S. and the Listed Supremacy S.
His dam Boutique (Discorsi) is a half-sister to the Group winners and performers Quilista (Scandal Keeper {USA}) and Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man). Quilista won the G2 Sapphire S. and the G3 Birthday Card S. was sold for $1 million at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ).
Interstate interest growing
Playing God stood the 2023 breeding season for $33,000 (inc GST). It is fair to say most of his progeny are centred in Western Australia. Still, the Dorrington Farm-owned Nunthorpe has shown to be a talented galloper for the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stable.
A victress of four races from 1200 to 1400 metres, she has placed in the G2 AV Kewney S. and was purchased for $110,000 by Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) from the 2020 Magic Millions Mungrup Stud Dispersal Online Sale.
Nunthorpe as a weanling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The success of Nunthorpe arguably played a role in Robert Crabtree of Dorrington Farm's decision to send a mare to Playing God this season.
“Most of Playing God’s book is local mares, but we’ve had a couple of breeders from the Hunter Valley support him, (along with Victorian-based) Dorrington Farm, race Nunthorpe and they sent a mare over this year, which is great. I think breeders are starting to see the value in him. At the end of the day, we’re not in another world.
“It’s a good float trip, but compared to some of the service fees you pay over East, there’s definitely some value in using Playing God.”
Playing God | Standing at Darling View Thoroughbreds
Atwell touched on how fitting it is for a son of Blackfriars to emerge in the state he ruled.
“It’s very fitting. Unfortunately, as it happens, Blackfriars is no longer, but Playing God has always shown enormous potential. Seeing him emulate and sort of go past Blackfriars is extraordinary.”
