On Bel Esprit Stakes day at Caulfield, the Sun Stud stalwart stuck early with his honest son Vainstream in the $200,000 Spendthrift Australia VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m).
A close-up fifth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate the John Pascoe-trained gelding turned the tables on his Oakleigh Plate conqueror Pippie in no mean fashion, charging home under Noel Callow to defeat Street Icon (Street Boss) with Teleplay (Written Tycoon) back in third.
The fleet-footed, short-priced favourite Pippie led them up but was struggling shortly after turning for home
Bred and raced by his trainer, Vainstream has yet to earn black-type in a career of 6 wins, 2 seconds and 5 third from 28 starts with earnings of $346,200.
"I can read him like a book now, I'm pretty rapt about this," Pascoe told racing.com.
"He absolutely deserved to win that race.
"A bit of age helped and also I've turned him around with the feed and a few other little things that he didn't like. And if he didn't like it, he'd tell you.
"We had to work him out and it has taken a long time. Now we've got him under control. He loves it, he loves racing.
"I've got another one that is out of the same mare (Yasey San) and looks like being alright.
"He's had a fair few starts and he deserves a break. I'll talk to the owners and see what they fancy and see how he pulls up. We'll see.”
A brother to the 4-time winner Yasey Sun, Vainstream is the second foal of Pascoe’s hard-knocking mare Yasey San.
A 7-time winner and placed a further 9 times in a 48-start career, Yasey San is a daughter of the unheralded Sunday Silence stallion Yasey (JPN) who left 43 foals in five seasons before his export to China in 2009.
Yasey is a brother to former Arrowfield shuttler Fuji Kiseki (JPN).
Yasey San has a 2yo colt by Magnus and a yearling filly by Ready For Victory.
She was covered by Sun Stud’s Palentino last spring.