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The 2020 Vain Stakes is an early Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival 1100m sprint that attracts some of the best new season three-year-old colts and geldings from both local and interstate stables.

Run under set weights plus penalties conditions, the Vain Stakes often features gallopers heading towards a race like the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) back at the track in October over a mile.

Held on PB Lawrence Stakes Day, the Vain Stakes field tends to be filled out with fairly successful colts and geldings who already have decent black type experience. With a total purse of $160,000, Group 3 race is the male equivalent of the fillies-only Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) held at the same meeting for Thousand Guineas hopes.

Horses that end up in the Vain Stakes field tend to race first-up or come via smaller, unlisted events as part of their pre-warm up. Because there is such a considerable number of entrants who are first or second up, the Vain Stakes results can often be difficult to predict, as most horses are not in full form. Those runners that see success in the Vain Stakes results are likely to contest later events such as the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes or the Group 2 Danehill Stakes.

Due to the high quality nature of the Vain Stakes field, you’ll often see horses continue on to compete in the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The 2019 Vain Stakes winner Bivouac went on to win Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) later that season and ran second in Flemington’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m). He also followed the following autumn and won the 2020 Newmarket Handicap at elite level.

Sepoy (2011) was the last horse to complete the Vain Stakes – Coolmore Stud Stakes double.

The 2020 Vain Stakes took place on Saturday August 15, 2020  and was won in an upset by the fast finishing Our Playboy.

Vain Stakes
Date:	Saturday August 15, 2020
Track:	Caulfield Racecourse
Distance:	1100m
Race Type:	3YO C&G SWP
Status:	Group 3
Prize Money:	$160,000

2020 Vain Stakes Results

• 1st: #4 Our Playboy
• 2nd: #5 Ranting
• 3rd: #3 Rulership

It was an improved effort from the untapped Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jrn) trained Our Playboy ($12) who stormed down the outside in a brilliant late effort to defeat Ranting ($6) and the beaten favourite Rulership ($2.40) in the Vain Stakes 2020 results.

Colour	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	4	OUR PLAYBOY	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Ben Melham		8	56kg		$12
	2	5	RANTING (NZ)	Leon & Troy Corstens	Dwayne Dunn	1L	6	56kg		$6
	3	3	RULERSHIP	Peter & Paul Snowden	Damian Lane	2.25L	3	56kg		$2.40F
	4	7	BRANDERS RULE	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	2.35L	2	56kg		$18
	5	2	LARIMER STREET	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Damien Oliver	3.1L	5	57kg		$9.50
	6	1	LUNAR FOX	Paul Preusker	Jordan Childs	3.2L	1	58kg		$19
	7	9	KEEP ON FIGHTING	Gerard Moloney	Patrick Moloney	4.2L	7	56kg		$51
	8	8	THE CRUISER	Frankie Stockdale	Arron Lynch	4.95L	4	56kg		$21
	9	6	HYDRO STAR	John McArdle	Jamie Mott	5.45L	9	56kg		$4.80

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2020 Vain Stakes Odds

Betting on the Vain Stakes 2020 will be available here with market links to Ladbrokes.com.au once Racing Victoria announce the final field.

2020 Vain Stakes Field

The 2020 Vain Stakes field and barrier draw are announced the Wednesday leading-up to P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day with full acceptances to be listed below.

Nine spring hopefuls make-up the Vain Stakes 2020 final field with the untapped Hydro Star and the proven Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Rulership battling for top spot in early betting.

Click here to read about the key hopefuls in 2020 Vain Stakes betting this weekend.

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.

2020 Vain Stakes Nominations

The early Vain Stakes 2020 Nominations are taken by Racing Victoria on the Monday leading-up to race day, the full list of entries to be published right here once announced.

The 2020 Vain Stakes nominations drew 11 young Group 1 spring hopefuls including Jerle for last year’s winning trainer James Cummings who took the event out with Bivouac (2019), along with the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Rulership who ran in the Blue Diamond Stakes (8th) as a juvenile.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	1x0x1	HARD LANDING	C	3	Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes	80
2	1	HYDRO STAR	C	3	John McArdle	67
3	4x5323126x	JERLE	C	3	James Cummings	66
4	5	KEEP ON FIGHTING	G	3	Gerard Moloney	61
5	23210x	LARIMER STREET	C	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	79
6	5x52116x	LUNAR FOX	C	3	Paul Preusker	80
7	6x611x	OUR PLAYBOY	C	3	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	67
8	23x	RANTING (NZ)	C	3	Leon & Troy Corstens	65
9	1284x	RULERSHIP	C	3	Peter & Paul Snowden	75
10	3	THE CRUISER	C	3	Frankie Stockdale	63
11	21	TOYETIC	G	3	Anthony & Sam Freedman	64

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Vain Stakes History

Inaugurated in 1992, the Vain Stakes has always attracted a strong assortment of young colts and geldings. Never Undercharge took out the first edition of the Vain Stakes with a thrilling run to set the standard of tight finishes that the Vain Stakes is known for.

Initially referred to as the Vain Quality Stakes, the race name was shortened to the Vain Stakes in 1995. For a year in 2010 the race was named the Lister Diesel Stakes.

Initially held at Sandown Park Racecourse, the Vain Stakes shifted to Caulfield for a year in 1994 and then again in 1997. From 2002 onwards, the race’s permanent home has been at Caulfield Racecourse.

Although the Vain Stakes is now held over a distance of 1100m, it was raced over 1200m prior to 2006, when the drop to 1100m was first made. Since then, it has remained at 1100m with the exception of 2009, when it was run over 1200m.

Notable Vain Stakes winners include Cannibal King (1994), Haradasun (2006), Starspangledbanner (2009), Toorak Toff (2010) and Bivouac (2019). Vain Stakes results since 2000, including winning times, are listed below.

Vain Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2020 Vain Stakes	1st	Our Playboy	1 minute 4.91 seconds
	2nd	Ranting
	3rd	Rulership
2019 Vain Stakes	1st	Bivouac	1 minute 3.42 seconds
	2nd	Sebrakate
	3rd	Dirty Work
2018 Vain Stakes	1st	Tony Nicconi	1 minute 4.85 seconds
	2nd	Long Leaf
	3rd	Native Soldier
2017 Vain Stakes	1st	Jukebox	1 minute 4.8 seconds
	2nd	Plutocracy
	3rd	Poseidon’s Pool
2016 Vain Stakes	1st	Russian Revolution	1 minute 5.1 seconds
	2nd	Highland Beat
	3rd	Hardham
2015 Vain Stakes	1st	Gold Symphony	1 minute 04.4 seconds
	2nd	Top Me Up
	3rd	Star Planet
2014 Vain Stakes	1st	Get The Nod	1 minute 03.9 seconds
	2nd	Stingray
	3rd	Boomwa
2013 Vain Stakes	1st	Safeguard	1 minute 04.8 seconds
	2nd	Fast ‘n’ Rocking
	3rd	Hill Spy
2012 Vain Stakes	1st	Psychic Mick	1 minute 06.1 seconds
	2nd	Planet Voyage
	3rd	Free Of Doubt
2011 Vain Stakes	1st	Sepoy	1 minute 03.9 seconds
	2nd	Golden Archer
	3rd	Grand Britannia
2010 Vain Stakes	1st	Toorak Toff	1 minute 07.1 seconds
	2nd	Soul
	3rd	Star Witness
2009 Vain Stakes	1st	Starspangledbanner	1 minute 04.1 seconds
	2nd	Eclair Fastpass
	3rd	Djatala
2008 Vain Stakes	1st	Fernandina	1 minute 05.1 seconds
	2nd	Lord Tavistock
	3rd	Exceedingly Good
2007 Vain Stakes	1st	Shrewd Rhythm	1 minute 03.4 seconds
	2nd	Purrealist
	3rd	Diplomatic Force
2006 Vain Stakes	1st	Haradasun	1 minute 03.5 seconds
	2nd	Sharkbite
	3rd	Churchill Downs
2005 Vain Stakes	1st	Red Dazzler	1 minute 13.7 seconds
	2nd	Maybe Better
	3rd	Big League
2004 Vain Stakes	1st	Zankel	1 minute 12.7 seconds
	2nd	Special Voyage
	3rd	Tantat Secret
2003 Vain Stakes	1st	Lisboa Stand	1 minute 10.4 seconds
	2nd	Scaredee Cat
	3rd	Keep The Faith
2002 Vain Stakes	1st	Delago Brom	1 minute 10.1 seconds
	2nd	Great Glen
	3rd	Broadband
2001 Vain Stakes	1st	North Boy	1 minute 12.9 seconds
	2nd	Dash For Cash
	3rd	Tully Dane
2000 Vain Stakes	1st	Surtees	1 minute 12.95 seconds
	2nd	Sort It Out
	3rd	Mr Gold Flyer