After the excitement of Magic Millions Day at Pinjarra Park, summer racing returned for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon at Ascot, with the feature event on the program being the Listed Challenge Stakes for the state's leading three year old sprinter milers and of course the winner was by Playing God.
And the question in every punter’s mind was - could Adam Durrant's last start WA Breeders Classic heroine and two time Listed winner Playin'it Sweet (Playing God) stretch her brilliance to the 1500m and notch up consecutive stakes victories?
The class act in the race was installed as a hot favourite and though she had to pull out all the stops - she didn't let her backers or her connections down.
Her main rival was the promising Trevor Andrews trained Dominatus (Ducimus), resuming from an excellent first campaign and with the fabled “Pike factor” on his side.
There was good support for another talented Playing God Linchpin from the Darren McAuliffe camp, while Magic Millions winning team Sean and Jake Casey saddled up Aberdeen Flyer (Astern) - another who looked suited by a rise in distance.
Up and coming fillies Nature's Reckoning ( Calyx) and Admire Astra ( Admire Mars) were on the limit at 53kg and were specked at long odds, as was yet another Playing God, the Gangemi stable's Naughty Lord.
The Listed Challenge Stakes was inaugurated by the WATC in 1978 and won by Sovereign Shell.
This race has been a stepping stone for some quality mile and middle distance horses in the making, including future G1 winners Old Fashion, Early Express, Mr Sandgroper, Trix Of The Trade and Superstorm.
A field of 13 runners went down to the start for the 2026 edition as a pile of late money came for Dominatus - making him the clear cut second favourite - but Playin’it Sweet with regular partner Lucy Fiore on board held firm at the top of the market.
Playin'it Sweet pinged the barriers for Lucy in her usual style and was the first into stride with Aberdeen Flyer and roughie Zali's Gift (Sessions) for company.
Dominatus, Naughty Lord and Linchpin all settled midfield and raced close together throughout.
Zali’s Gift pressed on to take up the running a length in front of Aberdeen Flyer at the 900m and the pace was steady. Fiore and the favourite were getting a gun run in third near the rail, with Nature's Reckoning covering ground out wider and Admire Astra lobbed in behind on her tail.
Approaching the home turn and Aberdeen Flyer moved up to pour the pressure on Zali's Gift. The Sessions filly tried hard to hold him off, as Nature's Reckoning made a determined bid on the outside despite enduring a wide run.
Playin'it Sweet was temporarily pocketed on the rail and favourite backers had an anxious moment. Then the opening came, and the filly surged through it, just as Linchpin suddenly appeared on the scene coming down the middle of the track and even wider came Dominatus with a rattling run!
Playin'it Sweet was in front all guns blazing but Dominatus and Pike had the momentum as the winning post neared.
The two horses lunged at the line and hit it together. Head bobber! Had the odds on pop clung on? Yes she had!
Playin'it Sweet won the Challenge Stakes by a nose from Dominatus, who was so impressive first up.
Adam Durrant’s stable rep Jason Miller was very relieved to get the result.
“Yeah that was close, but she's just such a good filly. It looked like a good race on paper but Lucy rode her well, got across, got the gap at the right time - but it was so close on the line, I was surprised the number went up so quick - so it's a great result,” he said.
“She had a lovely run in transit until the corner, then Lucy just had to be patient and calm and it worked in our favour.”
The star hoop was equally relieved to return to scale a winner.
“She is awesome, she's so versatile. We were in a bit of a sticky spot but she's got that turn of foot,” she said.
“I just had so much horse. Often when I ride her it's about giving her a chance to build momentum, but she really had to sit and sprint today. Luckily she's a good horse and she really won that one herself.”
Lucy was asked for her thoughts on Playin’it Sweet going to the 1800m of the Ascot 1,000 Guineas, the next three year old filly feature on the WA racing calendar.
“Fitness wise and ability wise she would certainly run 1800m, but you just don't know if she would settle,” Fiore added.
“But maybe you just lead. I was kicking myself a bit at the top of the straight there thinking, I should have led. We’ll leave it up to Adam!”
Playin’it Sweet advances her record to 12 starts for 4 wins - three of them black type! - 2 seconds and a third, with her prize money now sitting at an impressive $739,740.
Playin'it Sweet is a homebred for the renowned Cosgrove clan - known to their many friends in the industry as “The Cossies” - WA wheatbelt farmers and hobby breeders Rod and Tania Cosgrove, and their daughters Jasmine and Georgia.
The Cosgroves purchased Playin'it Sweet's beautifully bred dam Sweet Ora (Oratorio) a decade ago as a $15,000 Perth Magic Millions yearling - and what an astute purchase she turned out to be!
She was very fast on the track, the best of her 7 wins being a four length demolition job in the WA Carbine Club over 1000m at Belmont.
Sweet Ora was bred by WA nursery Geisel Park, whose owner Eddie Rigg chose Mungrup Stud's precocious Stravinsky son Oratorio (AUS) as the ideal mate for his Danehill mare Blondine.
Blondine had won at Caulfield and was already a stakes producer of the Listed Hareeba Stakes winning sprinter La Famelia (Strategic) - the best of her five winners - before coming to the west.
La Famelia went on to produce the G2 Reisling Stakes winner French Fern, who has been a successful producer for China Horse Club Racing.
Blondine's dam, Biancaneve, was an unraced daughter of the fantastic broodmare sire Salieri and - she was a three quarter sister to one of the all time great sprinters of the Australian turf, Lee Freedman's unforgettable 8 x G1 winning grey Schillaci!
Playin'it Sweet is the final foal and only stakes winner from Sweet Ora who produced only three, all winners.
Their beloved mare was retired from breeding by the Cosgroves after missing in three consecutive seasons, but they now have a very valuable daughter to carry on her line when the time comes!
Playin'it Sweet is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m,5m
Danehill 3m x 3f sex balanced
Oratorio mares have been one of Playing God's best nicks with five stakes winners bred this way - Bustler (G1 Railway), Platoon, Ex Sport Man, Almighty Class, Playin’ it Sweet and this season's stakes placed Sky Duke.
So his three yearlings from Oratorio mares to be offered at this year's Perth Magic Millions are sure to be popular!
They are as follows:
Lot 154 on account of Mungrup Pty Ltd
Filly from the outstanding producer Cosmah Domination is a full sister to G1 Railway Stakes winner Bustler and half sister to G2 WA Derby winner A Lot Of Good Men, the dam's only other to race is a winner. Family of the NZ Champion 3YO Filly Kate's Myth and her dual G1 winning daughter Mythical Play.
A filly with huge residual!
Mungrup sold her full sister who smashed the sale record when she was purchased for $650,000 at the 2024 Perth MM by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Victoria.
Lot 242 on account of Willaview Park
Colt is a first foal from winning Oratorio daughter Our Pandemonium and he is closely related to Playing God's current stakes performer Almighty Class from the immediate family of the grand sprinter Kerrific (by Playing God's sire Blackfriars).
Lot 258 on account of Willaview Park
Colt is the second foal of a placed Oratorio mare with one to race - she is a half sister to stakes placed Sofia's Symphony from the immediate family of the fine racemare Eastern Zone and the Karrakatta Plate winner / G1 Winterbottom Stakes runner up Alabama Whirly ( grand dam of dual NZ G1 winner Shuka)
Playing God has 49 yearlings after withdrawals catalogued at 2026 Perth Magic Millions.
The multiple G1 winner and sire produces over 9% stakes winners to runners and his progeny are esteemed for their beautiful temperament and racetrack longevity as well as their ability.
This month the remarkable stallion achieved his quarter century of stakes winners when Almighty Class won the Listed Cyril Flower Stakes ( he also sired the quinella!)
Playing God shows no sign of slowing down his relentless production of superior athletes.
His top priced lot last year was a colt from the Sessions mare Clear Blue Sky, sold for $450,000 by Alwyn Park Stud (AA) to Anita Vale. Named God's Hammer, he is in the Dan Morton stable.
Darling View will offer 12 yearlings by their flagship sire in 2026, and among the most sought after will be this beauty
A colt out of the G2 Perth Cup winning mare Western Jewel (Jeune) - he is a half brother to eight winners including the incredible G1 warhorse Western Empire. Darling View bought his beautifully bred dam for $55,000 from Peters Investments at the 2023 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Playing God stands at Darling View Thoroughbreds on a fee of $48,500.
