Premier trainers Grant and Alana Williams prepared their 100th win of the season when Willie Pike guided Playing God mare L’il Capri to victory in the Morley Growers Market Hcp (1400m) at Ascot last Wednesday.
It was another notch for Playing God who had passed 500 career wins at stud when Black Ora saluted for Durrant Racing and Pike last month. The Champion WA Sire isn’t resting on his laurels with three months of the season remaining until he can claim a hat-trick of titles for Darling View Thoroughbreds.
L’il Capri (4m Playing God – Novadarl by Shamardal) was the middle-leg of a Playing God treble last week for owner-breeder Hyden Borger who operates the Hopetoun Caravan Park in the Great Southern. She won a Bunbury maiden in September and made the breakthrough in town with a powerful one-length win over Choice Thinking (So You Think). Photo / Western Racepix
“There was plenty of merit in the victory of our pint-sized pocket-rocket L’il Capri,” Williams Racing reported. “She showed great tenacity in the final stages to remain unbeaten over the 1400m trip!”
Williams Racing targeted Playing God yearlings at the Perth Magic Millions in February with top-price of $160,000 for the colt from Mazij (General Nediym) offered by Gervase Park. “He has a huge action and has all the attributes and traits that we look for in an elite performer,” agent Suman Hedge said. “And he’s by a high-class stallion from a good farm.”
Deadly and Fast (6g Playing God – French Beauty by Poliuto) might have taken 21 starts to win his maiden in January 2024, nevertheless, he earned to trip to Victoria with a dominant display in the Road to Jericho Cup Qualifier (3100m) at Albany last Sunday.
Local trainer Alan Smith part-owns and bred the tough gelding and, apart from the prizemoney, he also receives a $20,000 transport voucher for both horse and trainer to Warrnambool for the $300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) marathon in November.
“Things haven’t gone his way so far this season so it’s good to see it all pay off today,” Smith said after the first-leg of the three-timer by Playing God. “There’s a lot of water under the bridge between now and November but we’re definitely considering it as representing Albany in Victoria would be a dream come true.”
Redback Flyer (3g Playing God – Parc D’amour by Bletchley Park) filled out the champion sire’s treble when completing a hat-trick of his own in the Peters Investments (1800m) at Ascot on Saturday. Starting an odds-on favourite for trainer Michael Lane and managing part-owner Peter Capararo (Canal Enterprises), he led at every call to defeat Audio Boy (Sessions) and Chantel (God Has Spoken).
“He deserved a crack in the big smoke for a big group of owners,” Lane reported yesterday. “He stands a good 17 hands and, as we know, the Playing Gods come in all shapes and sizes. This boy is as honest as they come and has a motor to boot!”
Redback Flyer cost $90,000 from Willaview Park (as agent) at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions and he’s paid that back with $140,000 in prizemoney including $69,650 in Westspeed Bonuses. His dam Parc D’amour won the LR Belmont Oaks in 2007 and the Playing God – Bletchley Park cross is good for an 80% winning strike-rate.
