Favourites bubbles burst as Our Playboy and Bella Nipotina land spoils
It's the time of the year when gallopers with solid two-year-old form or a big boom from winning a winter maiden step out in early season three-year-old group races to show if they can measure up for the spring classics.
Some do, but all too often their limitations are exposed, either through a lack of fitness or ability.
Hydro Star came into the Vain Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday with a tall reputation after one start and one win, although the market took a set against him as his price drifted out to $4.80. Rulership, a highly-rated contender who was a leading two-year-old, was also in the field and backed into $2.40 favouritism.
Our Playboy (No.4), ridden by Ben Melham, wins the Vain Stakes over Ranting (No.5) at Caulfield on Saturday.Credit:Getty Images
The former finished a disappointing last, the latter had few excuses after being beaten into third place by the Mick Price-Mick Kent jnr trained improver Our Playboy, with Team Corstens' Ranting second.
Price knows what it takes to produce a smart sprinter, and he will keep the Ben Melham-ridden winner to short-course trips this season. Ranting also looks as though he might have a decent future.
It was a similar story in the fillies' equivalent, the Quezette Stakes, when Price and Kent jnr sent out the short-price favourite Parlophone.
But the filly missed the start and never really got involved as Bella Nipotina blazed a trail up front and the Tom Dabernig-Ben Hayes-trained galloper was never headed under Michael Rodd as she broke her duck in brilliant style in the group 3 event.
Hayes said the stable had thought of sending her to a maiden race, but aimed higher instead.
''After her trials she looked as though she had really improved but we were not sure," Hayes said.