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Career over for WA star Playing God

Playing God. Pic:

Outstanding galloper Playing God will be retired to stud after sustaining a tendon injury in Victoria.

Trainer Neville Parnham had been bullish about Playing God's chances in tomorrow's Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) after a strong track gallop on the main grass at Mornington on Tuesday morning, but yesterday he scratched the stallion from the Caulfield race.

Parnham found Playing God, the winner of almost $1.7 million, had damaged the nearside front tendon yesterday morning.

"It is untimely, but it is one of those things," Parnham said.

"He had a great career and we were very fortunate to have the horse in our stable.

"Colin (Loxton, the owner) had thoughts of retiring him last year, but he went on to win the Northerly Stakes and between him and his brother God Has Spoken they picked up another $250,000 in stakes."

There is no decision as to which WA stud Playing God will stand at.

Playing God, who was bought for $27,000, rose to be ranked as WA's best middle-distance galloper.

The son of Blackfriars was the flagship galloper to Parnham winning his 13th trainers' premiership, when winning the Kingston Town Classic (1800m), WA Guineas (1600m), Aquanita Stakes (1800m) and Magic Millions Trophy (1400m) in 2010-11.

Playing God then ran third to Shamrocker in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and third to Shocking in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) in his first trip to Melbourne, before returning home to run seconds in the Raconteur Stakes (1500m) and WATC Derby (2400m) in the autumn.

The six-year-old raced nine times at the elite level, including running in the Cox Plate (11th), Turnbull Stakes (third), Underwood Stakes (fifth) and Caulfield Stakes (sixth), before winning his second Kingston Town in 2011.

Meanwhile, Trevor Andrews has chosen to run unbeaten two-year-old Palace Intruder in the $250,000 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1100m) tomorrow week and bypass the $500,000 Karrakatta Plate and $200,000 WA Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) in March and April.

Last year's $120,000 MM Perth sale graduate confirmed favouritism for the MM with his neck win over Silver Trace in the Westspeed Plate (1000m) last Saturday.

Andrews, who has won two Classics and a Karrakatta, said Palace Intruder would have a break and return for the WA Guineas next season.