With his win in Saturday’s Listed JC Roberts Stakes at Ascot, the Playing God gelding Lord Vampi earned a shot at the $400,000 Group II WATC Derby (2400m), a race won by his seventh dam, Hestia, eighty-four years ago.
Ridden by Lucy Fiore doe Dan and Ben Pearce, Lord Vampi finished strongly to defeat the fellow Playing God gelding Alaskan by just over a length. The Awesome Rock gelding Seven Iron was third, in a finish that was a blowout for punters.
Oakland Park Stud homebred Lord Vampi has an amazingly prolific Western Australia pedigree.
A brother to talented Vampi at Play and half to the 5-time winner The Lady Is A Vamp (I’m All The Talk), Lord Vampi is a son of the Group III La Trice Classic winner Vampi Lass (Bletchley Park).
Out of the unraced Stormy’s Son mare Stormvielle, Vampi Lass finished second in the 2013 Magic Millions 2yo Classic, a race won by her three-quarter brother Lock The Vault at the expense of the future two time Group 1 Doomben Cup and Mackinnon Stakes winner Scenic Shot, who won the JC Roberts Stakes in 2006.
Lock The Vault finished second in the Group 1 Fruit ‘n’ Veg stakes before enjoying success in Hong Kong when known as Gallant Lion. His highlight came under Zac Purton in the Group III Sha Tin Vase in 2009.
This family has worked well with Playing God whose first crop of 37 foals included Platoon, a multiple stakes-winner and Group 1-placed earner of over $800,000, who is out of Lock The Vault’s half-sister, Oriel.
At the recent Perth Yearling Sake, Pearce Racing had the final say at $150,000 for Vampi Lass’ Maschino filly consigned by Willow Dale Farm.
Lord Vampi is the 17th stakes-winner for Playing God who has left his days of struggling to attract mares at a fee of $4,400 far behind.
The Darling View Thoroughbreds resident covered a career high 144 mares last spring at $33,000.
