Vain 16/06/09

THE VAIN STRAIN
Eliza Park’s Mark Lindsay is phoning everyone he knows with a broodmare boasting a strain of Vain in her pedigree.
Considered one of the truly great speed influences in Australian breeding, Vain was a prolific sire, winning the 1983/84 sires’ premiership and producing 46 stakeswinners including Golden Slipper winners Sir Dapper and Inspired.
But it’s as a broodmare sire that Vain has a lingering legacy. His daughters have produced 97 stakeswinners, chief among them the likes of multiple Group One winner and Champion Victorian Sire, Bel Esprit. And even though Vain slipped off this mortal coil some 17 years ago, the influence is stronger than ever.
Eliza Park principal, Lee Fleming, has always been a great fan of the Vain influence, a fact borne out of a decision to stand three stallions at stud this season in which Vain figures prominently - namely Bel Esprit, Magnus and Written Tycoon.
Magnus, whose first foals are due in August and Written Tycoon, whose initial crop has wowed all viewers, are yet to have runners, but the Bel Esprits - with Vain top and bottom - are firing on all cylinders.
Indeed, three of Bel Esprit’s five stakeswinners relate to Vain : Group One winner Bel Mer, the unbeaten Black Caviar and Belcentra.
Bel Mer’s granddam, Marine Park, is a daughter of Vain stallion Sir Dapper, while Black Caviar and Belcentra are linebred to Vain via his daughters, Song of Norway (dam of Scandinavia) and Rainbeam (dam of Centaine).
Truth be known, Bel Esprit just about ‘nicks’ with everything - he’s that kind of sire - but any mare with Vain in their first few generations appears to be a triple AAA plus mating.