Following wins at Caulfield and Flemington, the 4-year-old Pariah mare Vagrant made it three on the bounce with a first stakes success in Saturday's Group III Lamaro's Hotel Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Vagrant lets loose (image Grant Courtney)
Given a positive ride by Beau Mertens, the Mitchell Freedman-trained mare overpowered the Capitalist mare Penthouse by one and a quarter lengths, with the Rubick mare Party For One one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
A $130,000 purchase for her trainer from the Twin Hills Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Vagrant advances her record to five wins, two seconds, and a third from 16 starts with earnings of $321,055.
Vagrant had made one previous stakes start, finishing third in the Listed Oaklands Stakes at Morphettville at two.
"Mitch wanted me to be handy from the low draw but to can it if it was going to take her out of her comfort zone," Mertens said.
"We ended three back on the fence following Blake (on Party For One). They rolled along, and Jordy (Childs on Penthouse) was far ahead of me. When I was building up from the 600m and getting more room she kept finding, I could feel her building the revs up, and I thought she was home a long way out.
"The relationship with Mitch has been fantastic. It started with Skybird, and we haven't looked back since, leading to Attrition with a Group 1. He brings his horses to the races in good order, and he has been training winner after winner for the last six months. They run a good operation, and it is a credit to the team."
Bred by Olly Tait, Vagrant is the best of two winners from as many to race for the talented Lonhro mare My Obsession.
That winning feeling (image Grant Courtney)
A Moonee Valley winner for Darren Weir, My Obsession is a half-sister to Given (Canny Lad), who won the Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes in 1998 when it was known as the Hyderabad RC Stakes.
Given's daughter Bequests (Stravinsky) is the dam of Group 1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas winner Ugo Foscolo (Zacinto).
Vagrant is the second stakes-winner for Pariah after Swiss Exile.
The son of Redoute's Choice stands at Oaklands Stud for $8,800.
