First Stakes Winner for Playing God

Mark Smith - Sunday April 29

Trainer Steve Wolfe was rendered almost speechless when his 2-year-old gelding Lordhelpmerun clung to a rapidly diminishing half-head victory over the favourite Lady Cosmology in Saturday's the Group III WA Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot.

Given a peach of a ride by Shaun McGruddy, Lordhelpmerun camped on the early speed before McGruddy made his move and set up a winning break.

Longshot, Platoon was third ahead of the Karrakatta Plate winner Valour Road in fourth.

It advances the record of Lordhelpmerun to two wins, one second and one third from four starts with earnings of $262,800.

When he won at his second attempt at Ascot on March 24, Lordhelpmerun became the first winner for the Blackfriars stallion Playing God (pictured ) and he now becomes the first stakes-winner for the Mungrup Stud stallion.


Wolfe said he was wearing sunglasses to hide the tears.

"He's just been a lovely horse," Wolfe told The West Australian.

"We'll put him out and I think the Guineas will be on our radar.

"There are some great stories behind him. One of the owners, Steve Smedley, won $50,000 on a quaddie and bought a 10 percent share in him.

"I'd never met him before but that's what racing's about – getting those sort of blokes in the game."

A $25,000 purchase by Commercial Bloodstock Services out of the Toreby Park draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Lordhelpmerun is the first foal of the Snippetson mare Pure Heaven.

A daughter of the Listed WATC Gimcrack Stakes winner Magic Heaven (Magic Ring), Pure Heaven was herself a $20,000 purchase by Neville Parnham out of the same sale ring in 2010 before proving more than useful on the track winning five in Perth.

Pure Heaven has a weanling filly by Playing God and was bred back to him again last spring.

Winner of the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic in 2010 and 2011, Playing God moves in to fifth spot on the first season sire table.

The brother to multiple Group winner God Has Spoken becomes the seventh first season stallion to sire a stakes-winner.

Playing God covered 57 mares at Mungrup Stud last season at a fee of $4,400.

Advertisment
More Reading...
MM National Weanling Catalogue Now Online
The quality packed 2024 edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale is now online.
New Japanese Stallion for Yulong 2024 and Full Roster of Fees
Yulong have announced fees for 2024 on a power packed roster of eight stallions with a new addition to the ranks and Written Tycoon again listed as Private. 
Two by Tassort for Inglis Gold
It’s been a busy and rewarding yearling sale season for Blue Gum Farm and it’s not quite over with a select draft of seven to be offered on Sunday April 21 at the Inglis Gold Yearling Sale with the consignment featuring the only two yearlings in the sale by exciting young sire Tassort.
Best On Breeding
Emirate Park Stud's homebred Tassort filly Manaal will stake her claim for Champion Two-Year-Old in Saturday's $750,000 Group 1 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Vale, Lonhro - The Ultimate Thoroughbred
It is with a heavy heart Godolphin Australia announce the passing of former Darley stallion, Lonhro.
Pinhook Statistics – All You Need to Know
The release of weanling catalogues by Inglis and Magic Millions has drawn our attention to pinhooking results for this year as for investors involved in that sector of the market now is a super busy time of year when you are looking to plant the seeds of success that will hopefully come to fruition at yearling sales in 2025.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Canterbury
There were eight heats for two year-olds at Canterbury on Friday and with the rich Brisbane Winter Carnival on the horizon it’s well worth keeping an eye on the progress of these late season unraced juveniles that include the most expensive filly sold in Australia last year.
Frankel Superstar to Shuttle to Cambridge Stud
Juddmonte’s newest recruit to their European stallion roster, Chaldean (GB), will shuttle to Cambridge Stud in New Zealand for the 2024 Southern Hemisphere season.
Inglis April (Late) Sale capacity 540 quality lots - Yulong Draft of 31
Extraordinary demand has resulted in a ‘full’ catalogue of 540 lots for the Inglis Digital April (Late) Sale.
Sires With Winners - Thursday April 18
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.