The WA General Sires’ table has an unfamiliar look about it this season post-Blackfriars.
The Scenic Lodge legend won the premiership season-on-season for a record-breaking 12 years. He will rightly go down as WA’s greatest-ever sire and his Group 1 winning son Playing God has taken over at the top of the table in 2022-23.
Stationed at Darling View Thoroughbreds in Mundijong, Playing God is already a dominant figure and that was reflected when studmaster Brett Atwell announced he will stand for $33,000 (inc GST) this year. That fee equals the WA record set by Oratorio (Stravinsky) in 2010.
Clive & Brent Atwell
It’s his fourth increase in as many years with the past three at Darling View since transferring from Mungrup Stud. Atwell and his father Clive did consider increasing Playing God’s fee beyond $33,000 but they were mindful the 15 year-old stallion remained within the budget of the vast majority of Western Australian breeders.
“We’ve been bowled over with bookings and at this rate he will be close to full with 140 mares!” Atwell said. “He has done what he’s done, with all due respect, off a few mid-range books.
“The Westspeed Platinum Scheme is going unbelievably well, so I think people can see there’s money to be made and this year’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale was right up there with the best in Australia as far as percentages go.
“He’s in the top echelon and we’re very fortunate to stand the best stallion in WA.”
Playing God has sired four Stakes winners so far this season – Feels Playful, Playing Marika, Nerodio and Bustler – and the only other active stallions in WA with more than a solo black-type winner are Sessions and Awesome Rock.
Atwell is confident that the best is yet to come and so do owners and trainers. His 14 yearlings at this year’s Perth Magic Millions, conceived off a $13,200 service fee, averaged $134,000 and sold to $280,000.
Darling View’s second-season sire Splintex (Snitzel) will remain at an unchanged fee of $11,000 in 2023 while new recruit Lightsaber (Zoustar), will stand for an introductory fee of $6,600.
“Splintex has let down into a magnificent stallion off 118 mares in his first book last year,” Atwell reported. “We’ve been very impressed and so are breeders after inspecting him. We’re really looking forward to his first foals.”
