Playing God a Western Australian revelation – fee set at $49,500 for Darling View’s exceptional sire
Playing God (Blackfriars) is already on the throne as Western Australia’s leading stallion, the sire sensation’s ascension as a legitimate national sire of record is also well on the way to coming to fruition.
The Darling View Thoroughbreds-based stallion set a new state service fee record in 2023, but his progeny’s continued racetrack achievements has prompted studmaster Brent Atwell to again increase the two-time Group 1-producing sire’s service fee in 2024 to $49,500 (all fees inc GST), up from $33,000.
Rostermates Splintex (Snitzel), the three-time Group-winning entire who is entering his third season at stud, will stand at an unchanged $11,000 while second season sire, the Group 2 winner Lightsaber (Zoustar), will stand for $6,600.
Playing God has sired seven individual stakes winners this season, highlighted by Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) scorer Bustler and his Neville Parnham-trained Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed Zipaway, taking his tally to 18 stakes winners overall at a ten per cent stakes winners to runners ratio.
It was Bustler who also helped Playing God’s sales ring credentials with his sister selling for a Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale record price of $625,000 in February. Importantly for the stallion’s longer-term appeal outside Western Australia, the filly was bought by renowned bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills, the purchaser and co-owner of last week’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun).
With his largest crop to date of 65 yearlings about to turn two, 39 of that Playing God crop averaged $119,423 at the Perth sale with Zipaway’s brother also making $350,000 to coincide with the sale of the prized sibling to Bustler.
“[The fee] is attributed to just an amazing season that Playing God’s had over here. He’s dominated the Pinnacles [carnival], won Group 1s, Group 2s and Group 3s,” Atwell told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He’s had seven stakes winners all up and had five runner-ups in stakes races this season. It’s been a massive year and it’ll be the record highest fee for a WA stallion, but he’s doing a huge job over here.
“He’s that far in front of everything else, I think it’s a pretty fair increase.”
Playing God covered a career-high 144 mares last year, a huge number for Western Australia in his tenth season at stud.
“Last year, we only had a couple [of mares go to Playing God] from the Hunter and Dorrington Farm’s Robert Crabtree sent a mare over from Victoria, which was great, and the same people have shown interest again this year,” Atwell said.
“China Horse Club and Kingstar Farm, these sorts of places, are looking to breed to him this year as well.
“Albeit we are in our own jurisdiction over here, when you put Playing God up against the company that he sits with – he is ten per cent stakes winners to runners – you’ve got I Am Invincible and Snitzel sitting around the same mark, then you’ve got Extreme Choice leading the pack at 13 per cent.
“I’ve had a good number of clients who have booked mares without a fee being announced as they just wanted to make sure they can get their mares to him.”
Atwell has previously forecast that with Playing God’s increased foal numbers – he has 65 weanlings on the ground – that Darling View and other breeders may consider offering some of the yearlings by the stallion at eastern states sales.
“We’ve had Magic Millions and Inglis both put the offer to us to take a couple of Playing Gods to the east and he is covering mares now that have the profile to sell interstate,” he said.
“I think it’s only a matter of time before Darling View sends a few over east, whether it be to the Gold Coast Magic Millions or an Inglis Classic or Melbourne Premier sale, something like that.
“I have no doubt in the coming year or two that we’ll look to do that.”
Playing God’s barnmate, Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m), Bobbie Lewis Quality (Gr 2, 1200m) and Hall Mark Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Splintex, received instant support from the state’s breeders in 2022, covering 118 mares and they backed that up last year with a book of 110.
Early reports of his foals were positive and Atwell is pleased with how those at Darling View are progressing ahead of the 2025 yearling sales. A small representation of Splintex’s weanling crop will also be offered at the Magic Millions Perth Winter Sale in June.
“All in all, he’s covered nearly 230 mares in his first two books, which is massive for WA, and we’ve had great feedback on his stock,” Atwell said of Splintex.
“He throws a really good type with really good strength. They’re built in the same mould as Spintex and the grandsire in Snitzel.
“Before this season, we’d never really had a lot of feedback from other farms who had said, ‘this is our best foal on our farm’ whereas a number of people have called up and said, ‘our best foal on the farm is a Splintex’ which is really pleasing.”
Meanwhile, Atwell believes that Lightsaber, a VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) and Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m) winner who was also runner-up to Hitotsu (Maurice) in the 2022 Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Flemington, can build on his maiden book of mares last year having covered 100 in 2023 based on the initial reception he received from breeders.
“Western Australia had averaged 60 to 80 mares for a first season sire for a long time. I think it’d been about 20 years until Splintex and now Lightsaber came along [that first season sires covered at least 100 mares,” Atwell said.
“We wait with bated breath to see what his progeny are like, which we’ll start to see in August, but he got a good bunch of mares and I believe he’ll get the same again.”
The fact he is the first son of Widden sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) to stand in the state also helped garner him strong support.
“He’s well priced at that fee of $6,600 for a Group winner at two and three. He ran in very good company for a lot of his career,” Atwell said.
“We all know the story of Anamoe, Capitivant and Artorius in the Caulfield Guineas and he was next in line in that race.
“Hitotsu’s obviously now standing at Arrowfield finished behind him in that race and he only just beat him narrowly in the Australian Guineas.
“I think people will chase that Zoustar line through Lightsaber here in WA.”