SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: A STATEMENT OF INTENT FROM VANDYKE AS HE HITS THE GROUND RUNNING

By Graham Potter | Sunday, May 1, 2016

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Trainer David Vandyke’s win in the Listed Princess Stakes with Look To The Stars at the featured Sunshine Coast meeting last Saturday translated into a statement of intent from the newest arrival at the Sunshine Coast training facilities.

Vandyke initially raised eyebrows when he announced that he would relocate his racing stable from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast but that element of surprise was quickly followed by a very clear and welcome understanding that Vandyke’s move would be a significant boost to the training ranks in South East Queensland and that his choice to make Sunshine Coast his home base was a real feather in the cap of the Sunshine Cast Turf Club.

That is why Vandyke’s first winner, in a black type race on his new home turf, just days after pulling into the Sunshine Coast training barns, was significant.

No trainer can carry everything before them ... and I’m not in any way suggesting that Vandyke is even close to that mark ... but there are trainers who can raise the bar in particular circumstances to the benefit of the sport in the area in which they ply their trade and I do think that Vandyke has now put himself into that position.

Just a month ago Vandyke was celebrating his first Group 1 win when Yankee Rose, under the guidance of Zac Purton, saluted in the Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick during The Championship.

In its previous start Yankee Rose had finished second to Capitalist in the Golden Slipper ... at a starting price 20-1 ... so Vandyke came to Queensland off a terrific run of results which underlined the capabilities of the stable.

“I’m bringing about 15 horses up by the end of July,” Vandyke said. “I’ve got 32 boxes and we should fill them within a few months of the season starting on August 1, and I’ll have eight staff full-time by that point.”

“It’s a fantastic place to live up here and the Sunshine Coast is one of the best training centres in Australia. I’ve wanted to come up here for many years.”

If you are a punter keep an eye on this stable. Chances are Vandyke will produce a fair share of winners!

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Buffering, with the Sunshine Coast based star hoop Damian Browne in the saddle, will step out at Sha Tin in Hong Kong today to attempt to complete a rare international Group 1 double after his famous success in Dubai a month ago.

Australia, in fact, has a two pronged attack this time in the highly competitive $10HK million Chairman’s Spring Prize with the mighty Chautauqua also adding plenty of weight to the Aussie challenge.

Buffering will be right up with the speed early. All of the people in Queensland, and in the Sunshine Coast particularly, will be willing Buff and Brownie home up the straight. Chautauqua will be running on strongly from behind ... and there are plenty of other runners in there with formidable form fighting hard to say in the outcome.

The race, which is due to jump at 5.30pm local time, should provide a fascinating contest.

It’s worth making sure you don’t miss it.

** Vandyke saddled two runners at Doomben yesterday, He won the opening event with Maurus and only failed to claim a double by a whisker when the fast finishing Astronomos failed to reel in Brettan by the narrowist of margins.

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