Neville Parnham and Playing God notched their latest win in tandem with well-bred filly Champeze at Northam on Thursday.
Champeze went out a $2.60 favourite and made the most of a cosy run in transit to score a first-up victory in the Debortoli Family Winemakers Maiden (1100m) in the Avon Valley. She sat right behind front-runner Dontthinkjustdrink (Denman) before Brad Parnham eased off heels to establish a winning margin from late closer King Akeed (Akeed Mofeed).
Parnham trained Playing God (Blackfriars) to win twice at Group 1 level in the Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and he’s now prepared 31 individual winners of 83 races by WA’s reigning champion sire who stands at Darling View Thoroughbreds in Mundijong.
Parnham and part-owner Michael Fagan purchased Champeze for $65,000 from Willaview Park at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions. She had been placed four times in a row during a summer campaign earlier this year and signalled an imminent breakthrough winning a Belmont barrier trial on July 8.
Champeze (Photo / Western Racepix) is the final foal of Just As Beautiful (Beautiful Crown) who was placed in the G3 Black Opal Stakes won by Uber (Shovhog) in 2004. She foaled the Bart Cummings-trained G2 Pago Pago Stakes winner Salade (Snitzel) at stud in NSW before transferring to Western Australia.
Just As Beautiful was sold to Mungrup Stud for just $15,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions National Sale and her WA-bred winner tally now numbers four following Gorgeous Gossip (I’m All The Talk), Texan Blitz (Oratorio) and Parlare (I’m All The Talk).
Champeze is one of 26 individual 3yo winners by Playing God in 2023-24 and they have won 44 races topped by her stablemate Zipaway in the G2 WA Guineas. His current 3yo earnings this season total $3,141,408 which is a career-best in that age group beating last season’s benchmark of $2,808,972.
Darling View Thoroughbreds stands Playing God for $49,500 alongside Splintex ($11,000) and Lightsaber ($6,600). Service fees (inc GST).
