Vain Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Vain Stakes horses can go on to run in the Coolmore Stud Stakes

The Vain Stakes is a Group 3 race for three-year-old colts and geldings run during August at Caulfield Racecourse during the early stages of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Run under set weights plus penalties conditions the race takes place over a short sprint distance of 1100m and offers $200,000 in total prize money. This is one of two Group 3 races on the Caulfield card for PB Lawrence Stakes Day along with the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m), which is the fillies’ equivalent.

The meeting is headlined by the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m). The Vain Stakes is a good early season lead-up for three-year-olds heading towards tougher sprint races over the carnival including the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington Racecourse on Victoria Derby Day. The last horse to complete the Vain Stakes – Coolmore Stud Stakes double was Sepoy (2011).

In 2019 the Vain Stakes winner Bivouac went on to win Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes that preparation and finished runner-up in the Coolmore Stud Stakes. He also returned in the autumn of 2020 to win the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’.

The latest edition of the Vain Stakes ran on Saturday August 14, 2021 and was won by the returning Godolphin-raced Ingratiating. 

2021 Vain Stakes Results

The official Vain Stakes 2021 Results & Finishing Order will be announced below once the Group 3 race is run and won on Saturday August 14, 2021.

• 1st: #3 Ingratiating 
• 2nd: #1 General Beau
• 3rd: #5 Generation

The James Cummings-trained Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper placegetter from the autumn Ingratiating ($3.20) was very good first-up dominating the 2021 Vain Stakes results ahead of a likely end-of-campaign run in Flemington’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Vain Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday August 14, 2021
• Track: Caulfield
• Distance: 1100m
• Conditions: 3YO Colts & Geldings – Set weights plus Penalties
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $200,000
• First Run: 1992

Vain Stakes Betting

Vain Stakes betting markets open the Wednesday before the race following the field and barrier draw for the Group 3 sprint showdown. Each year the Vain Stakes odds are led by resuming three-year-olds with a good first-up record that have previous experience over the distance.

Melbourne runners and past Caulfield performers that had a good two-year-old season last time in also sit high up the race’s betting odds. Upsets are not uncommon and the last winner to jump at double-figures in the Vain Stakes markets was Our Playboy ($12 in 2020).

Bivouac ($3 in 2019) was the last favourite in Vain Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

2021 Vain Stakes Odds

The best P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day betting markets on the Group 3 Vain Stakes 2021 will be available right here as soon as Vain Stakes betting opens.

Vain Stakes Field

2019 Vain Stakes champion Bivouac. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Vain Stakes graduates have a host of next-up options including the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) at the same track / distance a fortnight later, a double last completed by Gold Symphony (2015). In 2013 the runner-up Fast ‘N’ Rocking also backed-up to win the McNeil Stakes two weeks later.

The Vain Stakes field attracts a line-up of smart young male sprinters heading towards other similar Group events for their age group over the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Most of the three-year-old colts and geldings in the field are contesting the race first-up off a winter spell.

The Vain Stakes nominations close the Monday of race week followed by the release of the final field and barriers on the Wednesday before the Group 3 runs on the Saturday.

2021 Vain Stakes Field

The official Vain Stakes 2021 Final Field & Barrier Draw for the Coolmore Stud Stakes spring lead-up will be published below following acceptances.

The 2021 Vain Stakes field features eight three-year-old sprinters including the undefeated Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Snitzel colt Generation racing first-up from barrier one with Jamie Kah aboard.

• Scratched: #4  Jigsaw (6)

2021 Vain Stakes Nominations

The early Vain Stakes 2021 nominations are taken by Racing Victoria on the Monday of race week and will be detailed below.

Seventeen three-year-old colts and geldings are nominated for the 2021 Vain Stakes including the Godolphin-raced Ingratiating who ran second here in the Blue Diamond and third last time out in the autumn’s Golden Slipper trifecta in Sydney.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Vain Stakes Tips

Good Vain Stakes tips to consider before placing your spring bets include looking at resuming runners with a strong record when fresh, past winners over the distance and youngsters with form the Melbourne way of going.

Favourites also have a strong recent record in the race so sticking with the punters’ pick is also a top Vain Stakes betting tip with Tony Nicconi ($2.15 in 2018) and Bivouac ($3 in 2019) going back-to-back for the punters’ picks.

2021 Vain Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Vain Stakes 2021 betting tips for the Group 3 on PB Lawrence Stakes Day will be detailed below the week of the race.

• To Win: #1 General Beau ($4.60 at time of publish)

Lovely edition of the Vain Stakes with the returning Brazen Beau colt General Beau at a nice price to win first-up as a three-year-old. Small field and he’s drawn gate seven looking to add to his flawless record (2:2-0-0) fresh. Group 3 winner here in the Blue Diamond Prelude before a credible fifth in the Group 1 back in February. Hasn’t raced since, but is a noted fresh horse and has form at the track in tougher company.

Vain Stakes Form Guide

The Vain Stakes form guide is released as soon as the field of final acceptors is out the week of the race and features crucial information including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the horses in the line-up.

The Vain Stakes form has stacked up in other Melbourne Group races many times in recent years including the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington the next month with Jukebox (2017) recently backing-up from his Vain Stakes success to run second in the Danehill.

In 2011 Sepoy won the Vain Stakes – Danehill Stakes double and also went on to win three more times later in the Carnival including in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley and the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Another key race to follow the Vain Stakes form line through to is the lucrative Group 3 $500,000 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) held on the Wednesday of the Caulfield Cup Carnival. In 2017 the Vain Stakes winner Jukebox ran second in the Blue Sapphire, while Tony Nicconi ran third in the race a year later following his Vain Stakes success in 2018.

2021 Vain Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Ladbrokes’ Vain Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Vain Stakes Results

The Vain Stakes results have been dominated by single-figure favourites with the most notable recent Vain Stakes winners being Sepoy (2011);  Russian Revolution (2016) who went on to win the Group 1 The Galaxy (2017) and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (2018); and Bivouac (2019) who won that season’s Golden Rose Stakes (2019) and the following year’s Newmarket Handicap (2020).

Vain Stakes Winners