Playing God: The undisputed king of the ring is ready to reign again

Cover image courtesy of Darling View Thoroughbreds

There are stallions who serve a market, and then there are stallions who define it. In Western Australia, Playing God has long since moved into the latter category.

His rise from dual Group 1-winning racehorse to the undisputed commercial powerhouse of the west has altered the sales landscape, lifted prizemoney horizons and provided breeders with the rarest commodity of all - certainty. At Darling View Thoroughbreds, where he has stood since 2020, that certainty has become the cornerstone of a broader, ambitious vision.

With the 2026 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale looming, Playing God once again casts a long shadow - a heavy hand in the catalogue and no doubt, highlights will come.

The proven Playing God

A tough and classy campaigner who won eight of his 42 starts, including consecutive runnings of the G1 Kingston Town Classic, Playing God’s rise at stud has been nothing short of extraordinary.

His results have done the talking. From a modest $4,400 service fee to a 2025 advertised fee of $49,500 (inc. GST), his commercial climb mirrors his racetrack authority. Two elite-level flagbearers - Kay Cee, a seven-time winner who claimed the G1 Kingston Town Classic like her father, and Bustler, also a seven-time winner whose highlight came in the G1 Railway Stakes — headline a record defined by depth and strong numbers.

The statistics are emphatic: 192 winners at a very good 71% winners-to-runners ratio; 25 stakes winners at 9.2% and 14.4% stakes performers to runners, they are numbers that command respect anywhere.

His success and record means he has a strong input on the forthcoming sales catalogue.

Of the 326 yearlings (post-withdrawals) across Book 1 and Book 2 this year, 49 are by Playing God - 15% of the entire sale. Resulting in a very strong presence and options for potential buyers.

He has also dominated results at this sale, particularly over the past three years.

In 2025, Playing God had the sale-topping colt out of Clear Blue Sky (Sessions) realised $450,000 to Idan Young from the Alwyn Park Stud draft, while three of the top five lots were by the sire. In total, 20 yearlings sold for $3,085,000 at an average of $154,250 - numbers that reinforced his position at the head of the Western Australian market.

The story was much the same in 2024. A filly out of Cosmah Domination (Oratorio) topped the sale at $625,000 when secured by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Mungrup Pty Ltd draft. Once again, three of the top five lots carried his name, and 22 yearlings sold for $3,255,000 at an average of $147,955.

Even in 2023, as the market continued to recalibrate nationally, Playing God’s influence remained evident. Fourteen yearlings sold for a gross of $1,875,000 at an average of $133,929, headed by a $280,000 filly out of Poverty Point (Testa Rossa) purchased by Ryan Hill Racing from Mogumber Park.

That consistency on track and in the ring, underpins the confidence.

“He’s just an incredible stallion that keeps on keeping on. He is just so steady and consistent, whether that's piling up winners midweek or getting a metropolitan double on a Saturday, or picking up a stakes win. He just keeps doing it,” Darling View Thoroughbreds Brent Atwell said.

“He’s the kind of stallion, you look at the local sires premiership and he may be sitting about $300,000 above the second stallion, then a month later he is $1.5 million or $2 million ahead, he really is incredible.”

The calm before the storm at the sales complex

There is always a moment - a few days before the first lot steps into the ring, when the sales grounds hum rather than roar. Perth does it differently. Relaxed on the surface, but purposeful underneath.

“It’s still early days, the next day or two will definitely ramp up, can be a bit hard getting everyone going over here in Perth.” Atwell said.

“But this morning (Tuesday morning) it has been really good, we have had a good few parades in and everyone seems pretty optimistic.”

The Darling View draft

This will be Darling View’s second draft under its own banner, having previously operated within the Western Breeders Alliance alongside Eiononcliff Park and Westbury Park. Last year marked a transition - and a foundation.

In 2025, Darling View sold 21 yearlings for $1,345,000 at an average of $64,048. This year, the draft expands to 27 across Book 1 and Book 2, a deliberate step forward.

Twelve are by Playing God, seven by Splintex, and three by Lightsaber. The balance are by Gingerbread Man, Hellbent, Dundeel (NZ), North Pacific and Spirit Of Boom.

“The draft is obviously headlined by the Playing God’s. But it does look a really good crop, a nice even group but one that I am very happy with.

“There are a lovely bunch of colts headlined by the half-brother to Western Empire (Lot 110), and we have some really nice fillies, including Lot 117, a well-bred filly out of Abit Lucky, who is a sharp filly, she looks an early enough type and should be popular.”

When asked about the strong representation across the sale for Playing God. not just from his draft, but over the entirety of the catalogue, Atwell said.

“I think with 49 catalogued, there is going to be a Playing God for buyers at all levels. They can’t all make $250,000 or $300,000. I think there will be some that make above that, but there will probably be some really good buying around that $50,000 or $60,000 range, by a stallion that is proven.

“The stallion keeps doing the job, it’s great for the state and the industry, he can get good fillies or colts, and while it would be great for some to go to the big stables in the Eastern States, the locals know how good he is and they really love them naturally.”

Splintex has his second crop at the sales

A son of Snitzel, Splintex made an immediate commercial impression last year when his first crop averaged $41,111 across 27 sold yearlings, finishing second on aggregate at the Perth sale.

Darling View presents seven this year, and Atwell is pleased with their progression.

“We have a nice even bunch of Splintex yearlings, we sent a wide-spread bunch of mares to him to get his first crop and I think we worked out what kind of mare suited him best and the second-crop are a bit more fine-tuned breeding wise. They are showing ability, but still need to prove more on the track.

“While it would have been lovely if one of them win, to run second and third in the big 2-year-old classic on Saturday was a big effort with his first crop and is very promising.”

Early runners have provided enough encouragement to suggest the upward curve may continue, and they may be a wanted commodity at the sales.

Lightsaber begins his sales journey

By Zoustar, Lightsaber represents the next phase for the stud. Lightsaber won the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at two, winning three of his five starts as a juvenile, then trained on to add the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude at three and was second to Hitotsu in the G1 Caulfield Guineas. Lightsaber comes from the female family of Fastnet Rock.

Twenty-four of his first-crop yearlings are catalogued this year, three of them within the Darling View draft.

“We only have three in our draft but that worked out as we own less in the stallion than we do with say Splintex, so we have lots of partners in him.

“We do have three nice ones however and as a whole there has been very good chat around them at the complex, with people in all the barns having nice ones.”

The need for new stallions and the challenge it brings

The 2026 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale features progeny of several first-season sires, including Group 1 winners Artorius, Paulele, State Of Rest (Ire) and Stronger, alongside local newcomers such as Aysar, Lightsaber and Marine One.

Atwell understands both the necessity and the difficulty.

“You need a couple of the new ones to make it within the state, breeders need options and proven stallions, and we need the new blood and success to progress as a state.

“It’s getting tougher, the value for these higher rated colts is just huge, and you still have to be able to source a horse you want and of decent quality to be able to compete with the big Eastern State market.”

Yet there is resolve in his tone, as Darling View know the need to invest and have a go.

“You have to stick your neck out, and sometimes it’s better to stick it right out rather than half way and you just have to hope you get it right.

“If you tread water you are most likely to drown, so you have to keep on investing, backing yourself, have a crack and hopefully we get it right.”