A RESPECTABLE performance by Western Australian visitor Playing God if, as planned, the 4-year-old Blackfriars stallion tackles the goddess of the turf Black Caviar at Caulfield on Saturday, could indicate that he could be again a strong force in big events of 1600m or more in Melbourne racing.
It
would add also to the appeal of his three-quarter brother by the same sire
which is lot 21 (pictured) in the 580 lot Perth yearling sale catalogue to be presented to
buyers by Magic Millions over four sessions commencing next Tuesday, February
14 and continuing Wednesday,Thursday and Saturday (evening).
The yearling appears to be bred to have a little bit more toe than Playing God, a Perth star who at his last appearance on December 3 won his second successive Kingston Town Stakes-Gr.1 (1800m) on Perth's Ascot, and his brother God Has Spoken, also a competitor at this track in December, winning the C.B. Cox Stakes-Gr.2 (2100m) and finishing second in the Perth Cup-Gr.2 (2400m).
Inbred 3x4 to world speed influence Danzig, the colt, one which was born August 6, was got by the prolific Danehill sire Blackfriars from Ruby Doll, a Yarraman Park, Scone bred daughter of the very speedy Green Desert product Desert Style who at her only start came from barrier 16 to be fourth in the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick.
She has four winners, all her runners, to her credit and is a half-sister to Playing God, a horse who besides his Perth performances has crossed the Nullabor for cheques in five major Melbourne races, thirds in the Australian Guineas (16 runners), Australia Cup (15) and Turnbull (12), a fourth in the Makybe Diva and fifth in the Underwood, and his brother God Has Spoken.
The latter has not left the west, but has showed much talent with eight wins (five stakes – two at two including the Sires' Produce Stakes), seconds in the Perth Cup, Kingston Town, Asian Beau and J.C. Roberts Stakes and fourth in the Western Australian Derby.
Bred on Durham Lodge stud at Muchea, WA, Playing God and God Has Spoken are among 40 stakes horses (18 winners) by resident sire Blackfriars, one who has picked up the mantle of the best sire in the west from their deceased sire Scenic. Using Scenic, they bred Scenic Blast (a leading Australian and international sprinter) and Coniston Bluebird (won New Zealand Derby).
Both these horses, and also Playing God and God Has Spoken, were sold through the Perth yearling sales and have relations in the Durham Lodge 2012 draft, one which includes 22 of the 29 by Blackfriars and a dozen by another of their sires, Hurricane Sky. A son of them Star Kingdom line Golden Slipper winner Star Watch, Hurricane Sky has supplied 343 winners (18 SWs, 4 Group1) of 1170 races and over $30.5million.
Besides the representatives of the Durham Lodge sires, buyers in Perth have a big selection by others, including 52 by Danehill Express, a Danehill sire yet to have a runner, and 43 by Flying Pegasus, a Group 2 winner and Group1 second got by Fusaichi Pegasus from a Danehill Group 2 winner.
King Saul, a Flying Pegasus winner in five starts of three Perth races, including the Western Australian Guineas, and second in the Kingston Town Classic, is a half-brother to Lot 55, a colt by Oratorio, one of the West's leading sires. The Stravinsky product Oratorio has 42 lots listed.
Other sires with ten or more are Balmont (USA) (16 lots) a leading European juvenile got by the same Stravinsky; Bearcat (16), a Danehill brother to Catbird; Bletchley Park (IRE) (18), a Nijinsky grandson who has 393 winners; Duo Sasso (27), a Scenic (IRE) juvenile stakes winner; Husson Lightning (18), a leading 2-year-old and promising first season sire by Hussonet (USA); So Secret (17), Danetime Group 3 winner with first crop yearlings; Trade Fair (GB) (14), Mr Prospector line Group 3 sprint winner with winners in both hemispheres; Viscount (21), Group1 winning sire of champion Singapore sprinter Rocket Man; and Vital Equine (30), Danetime Group 2 juvenile winner and English Two Thousand Guineas second yet to have an Australian runner.
As usual, there is a representation of prominent Eastern State sires in the catalogue, including Bel Esprit, Bernardini (USA), Charge Forward, Choisir, Commands, Dane Shadow, Encosta de Lago, Fasthnet Rock, Flying Spur, Haradasun, Henny Hughes (USA), Kheleyf (USA), Lonhro, Magnus, More Than Ready, Mossman, Myboycharlie (IRE), Not a Single Doubt, Oratorio (IRE) (by Danehill), Rock of Gibraltar (IRE), Sebring, Snippetson, Snitrzel, Soldier's Tale (USA), Starcraft, Statue of Liberty (USA), Tale of the Cat (USA), Testa Rossa and Zeditave. - Brian Russell Media
