Darling View Thoroughbreds champion Playing God is on the cusp of another career-best statistic after Currimundi gave weight and a start to his rivals in the LR Pinjarra Cup (2300m).
Currimundi (6g Playing God – Pins Perhaps by Pins) came from the back-half of the field under a perfectly-timed ride by Shaun McGruddy to score by a short-neck over Fear The Wind (Fiorente) and Demolish (Rich Enuff).
He’s the 23rd Stakes winner by Playing God and the 7th this season which equals his best black-type return with four months still remaining in 2024-25.
Currimundi (Photo / Western Racepix) broke a run of outs going back to a running double in the Albany Cup (2100m) and Diggers Cup (1800m) twelve months ago.
Sunday’s victory sent his earnings through $750,000 for trainer Steve Wolfe who bred and owns him in a partnership that includes Graeme Evans, Kevin Patten, John Vujcich, John Gillam and Noel Carter.
Wolfe also prepared Playing God 4yo Rope Them In to claim the $370,000 Bluff Knoll (1099m) in Albany on March 16 and he’s on record as the trainer of Lordhelpmerun who opened Playing God’s black-type account winning the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in April 2018.
Ex Sport Man (G2 Karrakatta Plate and RL Magic Millions 2YO Classic) was another 2yo feature-winning stablemate by the Darling View sire in 2021.
Currimundi is the final foal from Wolfe’s NZ-bred Belmont winner Pins Perhaps. His older half-brother The Spruiker (I’m All The Talk) is raced by the same connections and has earned $810,000 to date with Westspeed Bonuses of $245,000.
Playing God current 2yo division received an eye-catching kick-start this season when God’s Rapture motored home in the Off The Track Plate (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday. She was on a seven-day turnaround since a midfield finish on debut and could not have been more impressive for trainer Ted Martinovich and his daughter Simone Moloney.
God’s Rapture came off a quick clip set by Castle Road (Safeguard) to win running away by more than two lengths and is on track for the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) on April 26. She’s also in the race to become Playing God’s record-breaking 8th Stakes winner this season although his first-starter Rigatoni gets first bite in the LR Supremacy Stakes (1100m) at Ascot this Saturday.
Rigatoni was placed in a Belmont trial won by Castle Road earlier this month and is up against another field of Karrakatta hopefuls. She is a half-sister to Ranveer (Winning Rupert) and is trained by Luke Fernie for First Light Racing after making $80,000 from Einoncliff Park at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions.
