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 (Photo / Western Racepix) 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.”
Playing God continued his table-topping form on Friday with a best-priced colt from Fanfara (Lot 247) purchased by trainer Jim Taylor for $210,000. He was offered by Yarradale Stud as agent for the late Allan Morton who operated Queenslea Park at Pingelly. A close relation of G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Ima Single Man, the colt was knocked down by Morton’s son-in-law Grant Burns.
