Playing God has increased his lead on the WA sires’ premiership with a half-dozen winners in the last week and the icing on the cake came with a 15th Stakes winner at Ascot.
The Darling View Thoroughbreds champion was represented by doubles at Ascot on Wednesday (Red Tori & La Dette), Bunbury on Thursday (Play With Desire & God’s Garden) and back at Ascot on Saturday (Holy Enchantment & Mojo Rhythm).
Playing God is an across-the-board leader for prizemoney ($1,710,982), winners and wins (23 and 27) and Stakes winners (3) this season. Mojo Rhythm sent him clear in the black-type category with a half-length victory over Alsephina (Star Turn) and Let’s Galahvant (Galah) in the G3 R J Peters Stakes (1500m).
Mojo Rhythm returns to scale with owner-breeders David & Ellen Ott / Photo: Western Racepix
“He’s been racing well without a lot of luck,” trainer Mitch Pateman said. “It’s been a shocking week to be honest but now we’ve got a ticket into the Railway Stakes!”
Pateman’s talented 3yo Almighty Class (Playing God) went down with a virus and had be withdrawn from Saturday’s LR Placid Ark Stakes (1200m).
“They worked together last week and there was nothing between them. That gave me a bit of confidence with Mojo Rhythm and he was also down to 54kg today. I have to thank Jarrad (Noske) for all his work on this horse. He couldn’t make the weight and Holly (Watson) will ride him again on 53kg in the Railway.”
Watson circled the field from last at the 600m to get first run on Railway favourite Alsephina at the top of the straight. “The small field helped and Jarrad told me to count to 10 before making a move. I only got to one and couldn’t hold him any more. I also saw Alsephina in traffic and knew it was time.”
The Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) is worth $1.5 million and will be run this Saturday, November 25.
Mojo Rhythm (5g Playing God – Saddle Me Up by Grey Swallow) is a homebred for Donnybrook couple Ellen and David Ott. They bought into the family with a $3,000 bid for his NZ-bred second dam Tickle The Peter (Senor Pete) at the 2009 Inglis Great Southern Sale in Melbourne.
Their only other named foal from Saddle Me Up has been Rhythmic Belle, a 3yo filly by Maschino with trainer Bruce Watkins.
Playing God (Blackfriars) is the reigning Champion Sire of WA and stands for a $33,000 fee at Darling View Thoroughbreds with Splintex ($11,000) and newcomer Lightsaber ($6,600). Service fees (inc GST).
