Darling View champion Playing God sired his 28th black-type winner at Belmont on Saturday but there was only a nose between his promising 3yo Vatican Storm and unbeaten filly Hot And High (Too Darn Hot) in the LR Raconteur Stakes (1400m).
Clint Johnston-Porter settled Vatican Storm in the running line tracking Hot And High. He eyeballed the odds-on favourite at the top of the straight before they settled down to a stirring duel through the line. It could just as easily been a dead-heat until the judge delivered the decision.
“Vatican Storm is awesome,” trainer Stefan Vahala said. “He’s a Playing God and is tough, versatile and will keep growing in confidence. He has Group 1 ability and top jockeys like Clint just find a way to get the right run in the race The horse was presented perfectly and we will set him for the Belmont Guineas (1600m) in a fortnight.” Vatican Storm (pink cap) wins the Raconteur Stakes / Photo: Western Racepix
Vatican Storm (3g Playing God – Amalfi Lass by War Chant) was bred by Yarradale Stud and sold for $100,000 to managing part-owner Kyle Sutherland at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions. He completed a running double at Pinjarra in January and has now earned $207,000 including Westspeed bonuses of $85,800.
His dam Amalfi Lass won at Ascot for trainer Dan Morton and second-dam La Sirenuse (Barathea) won the G3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield in 2004. Group 1 miler Machine Gun Tom (WATC Railway Stakes) appears further down the page alongside Group 1 two-miler Rogan Josh (VRC Melbourne Cup).
Vatican Storm’s unraced 2yo full-sister Angel Craft is owned by Ridgeport and Yarradale after being purchased by Neville Parnham for $140,000 at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions. Pearce Racing bought the Gingerbread Man – Amalfi Lass filly for $120,000 at this year’s Magic Millions and the mare’s final foal at Yarradale is a filly by Lightsaber.
Spicy Thang (Toronado) completed a double for Yarradale when she won the final race on a marathon 11-event card at Belmont on Saturday.
The chestnut filly was purchased for $120,000 by First Light Racing from the Yarradale consignment to the 2024 Perth Magic Millions Sale and she was a convincing winner of the Swan Draught Hcp (1200m) for Trevor Andrews and Willie Pike.
Spicy Thang is a half-sister to seven winners bred from Single Spice (Not A Single Doubt) and the best of them to date has been G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) winner Ima Single Man who was immediately shipped off-shore for a profitable career in Hong Kong.
Single Spice was trained by Simon Miller for Peter Bell and Ray Meadowcroft and was a front-running winner of the LR Supremacy Stakes (1000m) at Ascot in 2011 before being run down by Night War (General Nediym) in that year’s G2 Karrakatta Plate.
Second dam Zafair (Zafonic) was a full-sister to former WA sire Trade Fair (GB) who was represented by numerous black-type gallopers in Perth topped by Trix Of The Trade who won the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) in 2022.
Single Spice has delivered August foals by Playing God for the last two years. Her yearling colt is with trainer Stephen Miller and she foaled a filly last year before a subsequent cover to Lightsaber.
