Haradasun brilliant in Vain Stakes
Story By Jason Hickson
Saturday, 19 August 2006:  | | Caulfield trainer Tony Vasil |
The colt, stepping up from a maiden win on debut three months ago, put paid to far better performed rivals and stamped himself as the real deal.
After being caught three wide and settling well back, jockey Nash Rawiller pulled him to the outside in the straight and sprinted quickly to score a soft win over Sharkbite and Churchill Downs.
The three-year-old has been compared to older half-brother Elvstroem since a 10 length debut win at Swan Hill.
Elvstroem won the same race to begin his career before going on to win five Group 1 races.
Vasil is trying to be realistic about lightning striking twice but after witnessing today’s sensational win feels it could just happen.
“An Elvstroem comes along just once in a trainers career,” Vasil said. “So I don’t know what the odds would be of getting two.
“This colt has always shown enormous ability. We’ll take it one race at a time with him but he could be something special.”
Rawiller, also trying to restrain his enthusiasm, said he didn’t have the best run in the race but when he let the colt down he “absolutely exploded”.
Even jockey Mark Zahra, who rode second placegetter Shark Bite, had his say.
“I thought I was on a star and we were beaten by a freak.”
Vasil’s main aim for the colt will be the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and the Group 1 Tattersall’s Cox Plate.
Elvstroem was controversially omitted from the 2003 Cox Plate due to his Group record so the win by Haradasun today will help him on that path.
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