Quality Perth sprinter Vain Raider scored a career highlight win when he downed a quality field and led home a stable quinella in the Group 3 Roma Cup (1200m) at Belmont on Saturday.

Trainer Jim Taylor, who prepared three of the first five horses past the post in the Perth feature, said it was always the plan for Vain Raider to control the race in the lead.  “We thought we’d get our own way in front and I said to John (Claite) at the corner if he could put two lengths on them he’d be hard to run down.”

The son of former outstanding sprinter Kenvain came into the race after a close up second to Kid Choisir in the recent Northam Sprint.  Taylor purchased Vain Raider for just $30,000 from the draft of Mungrup Stud at the 2006 Perth Magic Millions.  He has now won 9 races and earned over $426,000.

Vain Raider (5g Kenvain-Tropical Minx by Carry A Smile) is one of three winners produced from a half sister to the outstanding South African Group 2 winner Tropical Empire.

Tropical Empire (7h Second Empire – Tropical Touch by Pago Pago) was sold to Chip Pennells out of the Canardly Stud draft at the 2004 Perth Magic Millions for $17,000.  His sire Second Empire shuttled from Coolmore to Heytesbury Stud for four seasons until 2003 when he was transferred to South Africa.  He now stands at Lion River Stud in the Western Cape.