The big guns among Playing God’s 4yo division are about to get rolling but not before L’il Capri became the 29th individual winner from that crop on Thursday.
L’il Capri (4m Playing God – Novadarl by Shamardal) was racing second-up at Bunbury after a debut fourth at Northam last month. Willie Pike weaved her through a 12-horse field that day to finish right behind Peters Investments homebred Stormageddon (So You Think).
L’il Capri (gold silks) wins her maiden at Bunbury Photo: Western Racepix
She jumped on terms for Pike in the MGIB Maiden (1400m) on Thursday and then angled off heels in the straight to score by a half-length from the favourite Universal Hotness (Universal Ruler).
“Bunbury’s Winners Bar fillied our cups yesterday after L’il Capri checked off that maiden in promising style!” Team Williams posted on Friday. “She’s a lightly-raced mare with better things to come.”
Grant and Alana Williams prepare L’il Capri for owner-breeders Hyden and David Borger who operate the Hopetoun Caravan Park on the Great Southern coast some 550km south-east of Perth. The Borgers also retained her older half-sister Shezgotthalot (A Lot) who was trained by Todd Harvey to win her maiden on debut at York last year.
Their dam Novadarl (Shamardal) was also prepared by Harvey to win her maiden as a spring 3yo at Ascot. The bottom-line goes way back in WA producing black-type fillies like Stormy Nova (Metal Storm), La Volta (Laranto) and Priority Road (Zvornik).
Playing God’s 4yo team is headed by last year’s G2 WA Guineas (1600m) winner Zipaway. He is ready to resume and is an opening $6 second favourite for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 23. Other Stakes performers among that generation include Lord Vampi, Investmentstrategy, Rope Them In, Alaskan and Almighty Class who was an impressive trial winner at Lark Hill on Monday.
Almighty Class was last seen finishing down the track in The Quokka (1200m) in April after a spring campaign highlighted by a win in the Max Simmonds Classic (1000m) and a neck second to Super Smink (Super One) in the LR Belgravia Stakes (1400m). Trainer Mitch Pateman reports he will race first-up in a BM72+ over 1000m when Ascot resumes on Saturday, October 12.
Playing God stands for $49,500 at Darling View Thoroughbreds with Splintex ($11,000) and Lightsaber ($6,600). Service fees (inc GST). Stud manager Brent Atwell can be contacted for bookings or further information on 0408 648 100
