Oakland Park owners Neville and Susan Duncan teamed up with trainers Ben and Dan Pearce for a winning double with Lord Vampi and Dun With The Blues at Northam on Thursday.
Lord Vampi (Playing God) started deep in the red at $1.35 for the Motherland Maiden (1300m) and was untroubled to score by a length from Bring The Bling (Oratorio). Dun With The Blues (Dundeel) scored a dominant victory in the Tom’s Joy Maiden (1300m) first-up after an extended eight-month spell.
“Oakland Park is a powerhouse breeding operation and Lord Vampi is from Ben’s G3 La Trice Classic winner Vampi Lass,” Pearce Racing reported. “He’s a talented 3yo and was second on debut at Saturday city-level before a strong performance today.
“He settled on the leader’s back for Willie Pike before muscling into the clear on straightening to justify that favouritism.”
Vampi Lass (Bletchley Park) is from the immediate family of Playing God’s Group 1 galloper Platoon and that cross has a 71% winning strike-rate. She was purchased by Oakland Park, carrying Lord Vampi, for $70,000 at the 2020 Mungrup Stud Dispersal.
Her new-season 2yo is a Sessions colt named Acorn. He was retained by Oakland Park to be trained by Dan Morton. Her yearling is a filly by Maschino.
Lord Vampi (Photo / Western Racepix) is the first 3yo winner of the season for Darling View Thoroughbreds champion Playing God. That crop also includes Rope Them In and Investmentstrategy who were 2yo city winners in the second-half of 2022-23.
Oakland Park has another promising Playing God 3yo named Lord Shiva with trainer Adam Durrant. He was an impressive trial winner over 930m last Monday morning clocking 55.71s which was the equal-fastest of the ten trials over that distance at Lark Hill.
Lord Shiva matched motors with Auspicious and then pulled clear of the I Am Invincible filly who was last seen finishing second to Snow Prince at Ascot in April. They streeted the other trialists by ten lengths.
Playing God sired him from Shakhimere (Oratorio) who is a full-sister to Lords Ransom (G2 Perth Cup) and a half-sister to Palace Intruder (LR Aquanita Stakes). Oakland Park bought the mare, carrying Lord Shiva, for $17,000 at the 2020 Mungrup Stud Dispersal.
