Saturday’s $5 million The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot has lured several top-class interstate sprinters against a local contingent that includes two WA-sired runners in the capacity field of 14 starters.
Almighty Class (Playing God) is in the mix according to trainer Mitch Pateman at $41 while Oakland Park homebred Saloon Bar (Sessions) is one of the outsiders at $101.
Pateman admits Almighty Class (Photo / Western Racepix) is stepping up from a last-start placing behind class mare Laced Up Heels (Toronado) in a Benchmark 72-plus sprint at Ascot, nevertheless, he sees no reason why the gelding can’t make the most of an ideal barrier this Saturday.
“He probably gets the race shape and the speed he wants from the (midfield) gate ,” Pateman told The Races WA.
“He’s a different horse with cover. I can understand why people have forgotten about him but his sectionals suggest he will measure up if we revert back to sitting in behind the leaders.”
Almighty Class (4g Playing God – My Classy Lady by Oratorio) has raced just five times for a sole victory in the Max Simmonds Classic (1000m) in October and he followed up with a narrow loss to Super Smink in the LR Belgravia Stakes (1200m).
The Pinnacles were in sight before a virus spelled the end of a much-anticipated summer campaign. He’s a homebred for Willaview Park’s Claire Williamson and her partner Col Hunter who is a member of the widespread Pateman family.
Playing God (Blackfriars) passed $6 million in prizemoney last week and he’s on track to claim a second WA sires’ premiership this season. The Darling View Thoroughbreds Champion was represented by another feature winner last Saturday when Baby Paris claimed the Marjorie Charleson Classic (1200m) at Ascot.
And Playing God sired his first 2yo winner of the season the previous Wednesday with True Apostle in the Programmed Property Services Plate (1200m) at Pinjarra. The Dan Morton-trained debutant was bred by Anita Vale Stud from Sebring Lane (Sebring) and sold through the Dawson Stud draft for $60,000 at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions.
Apart from True Apostle, there have been 122 individual winners from Playing God’s first six crops and that includes 18 individual black-type winners. His career winners-to-runners continues to fly at an outstanding 70% strike-rate.
