Playing God to Stay in WA

Media Release - Thursday June 11

Darling View Thoroughbreds has announced the purchase of champion sire Playing God to stand at its property in Mundijong.

The former Mungrup Stud stallion will transfer up the Great Southern Hwy to continue his career 350km closer to Perth.  A 12yo son of Blackfriars, he will stand alongside Lucky Street (Oratorio) and Patronize (Redoute’s Choice).

Darling View is a family-run business with Clive and Trish Atwell operating the 400-acre property with their son, former TBWA President Brent Atwell and his wife Kasey.

Playing God

“Playing God is the most exciting stallion in Western Australia,” Brent Atwell said.  “This is simply an opportunity too good to miss.”

Playing God was Champion WA first-season sire in 2017-18 with stakes winners Lordhelpmerun and Platoon.  His second-crop flag-bearer Kay Cee is on target to emulate her sire with back-to-back wins in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on December 5.

Advertisement

Before news of its closure was released last week, Mungrup had increased Playing God’s 2020 fee to $16,500 (inc GST).  Whatever the new rate at Darling View, he will still be the most expensive sire in WA.

The Mungrup Stud online dispersal sale of 72 weanlings, 85 broodmares, as well as yearlings and two year-olds, will be conducted by Magic Millions in August.

The three remaining sires at Mungrup – Oratorio (Stravinsky), I’m All The Talk (Stratum) and A Lot (Tapit), are expected to find new homes in the next week or two.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.