The bookies are having a tough time separating the up-and-comer from the proven three-year-old in Saturday’s Vain Stakes 2020 at Caulfield with Hydro Star currently just nudging out Rulership in betting on the Group 3 showdown.

Rulership is one of the best in 2020 Vain Stakes betting at Caulfield this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

Part of the always-popular P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day card, the Group 3 $160,000 Neds Vain Stakes (1100m) serves as a nice spring lead-up into the Group 1 sprints for the three-year-old colts and geldings.

The Vain Stakes field in 2020 features just the nine young hopefuls including the $2.80 top elect at Ladbrokes.com.au Hydro Star drawn the outside alley.

The John McArdle-trained Headwater colt comes off a winning debut from July 22 at Sandown-Hillside where he won a two-years-old handicap over 1000m by two lengths carrying 57.5kg to victory.

Jockey Jamie Mott retains the ride for the bay’s three-year-old and Black-Type debut in the Vain Stakes on Saturday, the bookies tipping the galloper to progress from his first win presenting fit here for an off-the-pace run coming back to 56kg.

The danger following very closely at Vain Stakes odds of $3 is resuming I Am Invincible colt Rulership for Peter & Paul Snowden.

Originally set to return last weekend, Rulership was scratched from his initial first-up run and instead takes to the Caulfield track fresh off a winning Randwick trial from late last month.

His last official start produced a fourth in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) last April when unsuited to the Heavy track conditions, explaining why the team have been patient waiting for firmer going to kick off his spring.

After a winning Randwick debut back in January, Rulership was second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield and eighth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond making him well-placed in Saturday’s grade.

The other two single-figure hopefuls in Vain Stakes betting this season are Ranting ($6) and Larimer Street ($8) drawn in barriers six and five respectively.

Nicely-bred Zoustar colt Ranting is prepared by Leon & Troy Corstens and is out to break his maiden status at his third start on the weekend.

He was runner-up on debut at Caulfield on April 4 over 1100m on a Heavy (9) and brave in defeat before heading to Adelaide when third in the Group 3 Breeders Stakes (1200m) on ANZAC Day.

Freshened-up since, Ranting looks a genuine top three hope first-up at the Caulfield track despite coming into the race without an official trial.

Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young saddle-up the highly-rated Larimer Street, the Brazen Beau colt racing at Caulfield for the first time.

During the autumn he strung together a host of eye-catching placings including behind Lunar Fox, a $21 chance first-up in the Vain Stakes on Saturday, in Flemington’s Group 2 VRC Sires’ over 1400m.

He won a Listed Moonee Valley event over 1200m after that before being outclassed when 10^th to King’s Legacy in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ in Sydney during ‘The Championships’, a run he can atone for in easier grade here.

There’s also been an early tickle for the consistent Our Playboy backed in from $12 to $10, the Sebring colt having gone out a back-to-back 1000m winner in April.

Click here for the latest Vain Stakes 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 Vain Stakes Field  

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	5x52116x	LUNAR FOX	Paul Preusker	Jordan Childs	1	58kg		80
2	23210x	LARIMER STREET	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Damien Oliver	5	57kg		79
3	1284x	RULERSHIP	Peter & Paul Snowden	Damian Lane	3	56kg		75
4	6x611x	OUR PLAYBOY	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Ben Melham	8	56kg		67
5	23x	RANTING (NZ)	Leon & Troy Corstens	Dwayne Dunn	6	56kg		65
6	1	HYDRO STAR	John McArdle	Jamie Mott	9	56kg		67
7	1x	BRANDERS RULE	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	2	56kg		64
8	3	THE CRUISER	Frankie Stockdale	Arron Lynch	4	56kg		63
9	5	KEEP ON FIGHTING	Gerard Moloney	Patrick Moloney	7	56kg		61

Table Credit: Racing Australia.