22 VAIN HIS GLORIOUS SPRING OF 1969 It is a quirk of racing history that Vain won what are now the VRC Champions Sprint and Champions Mile in the one week. It’s a sameyear double he shares with only Maybe Mahal (1976) and Galway Bay (1977). With the two races now on the same day, no horse will do that again. No other horse, before or since, ever won the Vain treble. Vain retired to stud in the Hunter Valley in 1970. He became a champion stallion, in his career siring 45 individual stakeswinners, including the great Sir Dapper. He had reached the good age of 25 when he died in 1991. Those of us old enough to remember Vain’s glory, count ourselves lucky to have witnessed two other champions at Flemington in that Cup Week of 1969. In those days of the Cup Day Steeplechase, Sir Chester Manifold’s illustrious Crisp was the winner. Rain Lover courageously carried top weight to win his second successive Melbourne Cup. And there was Vain—three times, unforgettable. ABOVE: Vain was a successful sire, seen above whilst standing at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley, NSW. He sired 370 individual winners and maintained a coinnection to Flemington, siring 1983 Ascot Vale Stakes winner, Top Post. (Image: NewsPix) PREVIOUS: Vain winning the George Adams Handicap on the final day of the 1969 Melbourne Cup Carnival. (Image: NewsPix)
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