03/02/16
Australian history would suggest that the biggest event that occurred during 1966 was the introduction of decimal currency on the 14th of February of that year when dollars and cents replaced pounds, shillings and pence. Thoroughbred devotees however would probably disagree. They’d suggest the birth of a chestnut colt in September 1966 outdid the momentous decimal currency event. Growing up to be called Vain, the owners entrusted their colt to trainer Jim Moloney in Melbourne and a then jockey, now trainer, named Pat Hyland, would be his regular rider throughout his racetrack career.
Vain was a son of the imported French born stallion Wilkes. Prior to his arrival in Australia to stand at stud, Wilkes’ sole claim to fame was that he’d won two races in France, one at Maissons-Laffitte over 7.5 furlongs (1500m) and the other at Saint-Cloud over 1.25 miles (2000m).
There is no question that Vain has been one of the best sprinters in Australian post World War 2 thoroughbred racing. During his illustrious career he started 14 times for 12 wins and two seconds. Amazingly his 2YO and 3YO season mirrored each other to the point whereby he started seven times at both those ages for six wins and one second.
At age 2 his only defeat came in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick of 1969 when a bolter, Beau Babylon, beat him home. Vain’s sole defeat at age 3 occurred in the 1969 Moonee Valley Stakes (now the Bill Stutt Stakes) when the talented Daryl’s Joy defeated him. In fact so talented was Daryl’s Joy that he won the Cox Plate in the same year that he beat Vain home in the Moonee Valley Stakes. And back in that era the Moonee Valley Stakes was a great race as evidenced by the fact that four of the next seven winners of the race after Daryl’s Joy won were Century, Taj Rossi, Denise’s Joy and Surround.
Here’s a break-up of Vain’s six wins across each of his years as a 2YO and 3YO – not in the order that they were won:
AGE
RACE
TRACK
DISTANCE
CLASS OF RACE
2
Debutant Stakes
Caulfield
900
Group 3
Maribyrnong Plate
Flemington
1000
Group 2
Merson Cooper Stakes
Sandown
1200
Group 1
VRC Sires’ Produce
Flemington
1400
Group 1
Golden Slipper
Rosehill
1200
Group 1
Champagne Stakes
Randwick
1200
Group 1
3
George Adams Handicap
Flemington
1600
Group 1
Craven A Stakes
Flemington
1200
Group 1
Linlithgow Stakes
Flemington
1400
Group 2
Caulfield Guineas
Caulfield
1600
Group 1
Freeway Stakes
Moonee Valley
1200
Group 2
Ascot Vale Stakes
Flemington
1200
Group 2
At the completion of both the respective 1968/69 and 1969/70 racing seasons, Vain was named “Champion 2YO” and “Champion 3YO” of his year. And that award was easy to understand when the huge winning margins he won some of these races by are advised. Vain won the Golden Slipper by 4 lengths, the Champagne Stakes by 10 lengths, the Craven A Stakes by 12 lengths, the Linlithgow Stakes by 6 lengths and the Caulfield Guineas by 3 lengths. And to cap off his illustrious career he won the George Adams Handicap at his last racetrack appearance when asked to lump 10 pounds or about 4.5kgs over weight-for-age.
Retired to stud at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in 1970, Vain was named “Champion Sire of 2YOs in the 1982/83 season”, thanks primarily to the deeds of his son Sir Dapper, which won the 1983 Golden Slipper in what was the fastest Golden Slipper ever run since its inception in 1957. Whilst Vain threw Group 1 winners of the calibre of Mistress Anne (16 wins including the Oakleigh Plate), Kenmark (8.5 wins including the Caulfield Guineas) and Charity (5 wins including the Champagne Stakes at Randwick), Sir Dapper was arguably the best progeny of Vain. Sir Dapper won 13 of 18 career starts and was named “Champion 2YO of 1982/83” and “Champion 3YO of 1983/84”. He retired to stud at media personality Mike Willessee’s Trans Media Park Stud at Cootamundra in New South Wales at a service fee of $15,000. And Sir Dapper was in esteemed company at Trans Media Park Stud, standing alongside sires of the ilk of Snippets (service fee $17,500), Rubiton ($25,000) and Sovereign Red ($10,000).
Amazingly after Vain sired Sir Dapper to win the Golden Slipper in 1983, he also sired the winner of the race the following year when a young fresh-faced apprentice jockey named Darren Beadman steered Inspired to victory in the world’s richest 2YO race. Inspired gave Beadman his first Group 1 winner – amazingly another 91 Group 1 winners would follow before he hung up his saddle.
Vain died in 1991 and was admitted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. The wonderful legacy he left is still seen in pedigrees in yearling catalogues to this day – the 50th year of his birth as a wet and slippery, jelly-legged foal.
Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au there are two stories. The first one gives all of the news on last night’s Hunter Cup barrier draw ahead of the big race next Saturday night and there’s also the story on Jim Webb who was finally released from hospital after seven months.