Yarradale Stud’s Playing God connection came to the fore again on Thursday when Streak Of God won with ears pricked at Bunbury for Grant & Alana Williams and a First Light Racing syndicate.

Streak Of God (3g Playing God - Streak Away by O’Reilly) had finished third on debut at Bunbury in September and was an eye-catching fourth first-up behind Safedeel (Dundeel) back in the south-west a fortnight ago.

He went out a $2.30 favourite in the 360 Underwriting Solutions Maiden (1695m) yesterday and was given the run of the race by Willie Pike in the three-wide line with cover behind Carentan (Leonardo Da Hinchi).

“I rode him a bit differently today,” Pike reported after weighing in.  “I popped him out early to avoid being cluttered up and to make sure there were no excuses.  He can be a bit stop-start but is a very nice horse although you won’t see the best of him for another six to twelve months.”

Yarradale Stud bought into Playing God when he transferred from Mungrup Stud to Darling View Thoroughbreds in 2020 and his service fee has risen from $13,200 to $49,500 in the ensuing six books.

Streak Of God is a Yarradale product going back several generations and was a $180,000 graduate from its consignment to the 2024 Perth Magic Millions.  His dam Streak Away is now four-from-four at stud following Swift Streaker (Patronize), Dashing Erika (Smart Missile) and Lucky’s Way (Bradbury’s Luck).  She foaled a Playing God filly in September.

Second-dam Brava Fortune (Falbrav) carried Yarradale’s green and gold colours to win the G2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) in 2008 as did third-dam Fortune Streak (Pricelessly) in the LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) of 2001.

First Light Racing returned to Perth for last week’s Magic Millions Sale and struck early with a Written By filly (Lot 4) for $130,000 and Splintex colt (Lot 22) for $50,000.  They will both be prepared by Trevor Andrews.

Yarradale residents Gingerbread Man and Shooting To Win had combined for a winning double on Wednesday with Can't Catch Me at Belmont and Aisle Two at Rosehill.

Can't Catch Me (4m Gingerbread Man - Disco Miss by Zeditave) is a half-sister to G2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner Buster Bash (Trade Fair) and she broke through when stepping out to 1300m for the first time in the Wittens Irrigation Maiden (1300m).

“She got her own way in front and was always going to be hard to run down,” trainer David Harrison explained.  “It was a sprint home and it was a soft win.  That was impressive and we will give her one or two more runs before a spell.”

Can't Catch Me was a $60,000 buy from Alwyn Park at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions for a syndicate managed by Ryan Fuller.  “She was agitated in the gates and didn’t step clean but was keen to lead,” winning jockey Brad Parnham said.  “She controlled the race and rolled along before giving a good kick in the straight.”

The win caught punters off-guard when she fought off stablemate Win For Buster (Shooting To Win) who started a short-priced $1.65 favourite.

Aisle Two (3f Shooting To Win - Think I'll Keeper by Keeper) continued her rise through the ranks after settling in the back-half of the TAB Hcp (1500m) under Adam Hyeronimus in Sydney.  She was disadvantaged when they dropped anchor at the half-mile but that setback didn’t stop her darting through a gap to defeat the NZ-bred even-money favourite Soverato (Vadamos).

“Aisle Two has a lovely attitude and is a progressive filly with a nice future,” co-trainer Luke Price said.  “That’s 3 wins from just 8 starts and she will have to keep stepping up to for a $250,000 race coming up at our home track next month.”

That target is the G3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) on March 13.

STREAK OF GOD / Photo: Western Racepix