Ex Sport Man was racing further than a mile for the first time in a 30-start career on Saturday and he had also been winless in 11 starts at Belmont before lining up for a 2100m staying test at the winter track.
The Playing God gelding (Photo / Western Racepix) had also drawn a blank in 9 starts on Soft surfaces but the form-guides got it wrong when he grabbed Queen Alina for a last-stride victory in the Free Entry To Belmont Hcp. “That was an amazing effort,” trainer Steve Wolfe confirmed as Troy Turner brought the winner back to scale. “You can’t put a price on it.
“He won a Magic Millions Classic and Karrakatta Plate as a 2yo and here he is still banking Westspeed bonuses as a 4yo. He’s lovely horse who always enjoys racing even though he hasn’t had much luck recently. It’s also wonderful training horses like this one for great people.”
Ex Sport Man (4g Playing God – Buhn Lert by Oratorio) was bred by Don O’Shannassy and was a $40,000 buy for Noel Carter (Commercial Bloodstock) from the Mungrup Stud consignment at the 2020 Perth Magic Millions.
Saturday’s win tipped his earnings over $750,000 boosted by bonuses of $102,000 for a syndicate comprising Wolfe, Graeme Evans, Timothy Alvin, Grant Armanasco, Laurence Benson, Todd Guelfi, Raymond Joy, Keiran Loveridge, Dean McAuliffe, Neville Walton, Brett Wolfe and Ken Battison
Carter also purchased his yearling half-sister by A Lot (USA) for $75,000 from Willaview Park at the Perth Magic Millions in February. She’s with Wolfe and has been named Winged Hassar.
Wolfe has prepared 10 individual winners of 33 races by Playing God which is second only to Neville Parnham (22 winners of 62 races). The Great Southern conditioner also trained the stallion’s first black-type winner when Lordhelpmerun landed the G3 WATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot in April 2018.
Playing God (Blackfriars) has been a fast-lane force since then and is just three weeks away from his first WA sires’ premiership. He’s also primed to cover his biggest book yet at Darling View Thoroughbreds where stands for a $33,000 fee with Splintex ($11,000) and Lightsaber ($6,600). All fees (inc GST).
