MAYBE THE BEST OVERCOMES TRAFFIC PROBLEMS TO SCORE A CLEARCUT WIN

By Graham Potter | Sunday, February 6, 2022

Maybe The Best, a four-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible, made a winning debut for the David Vandyke stable when she scored a comfortable two length win in a BM 68 Handicap over 1000m at her new home track at the Sunshine Coast on February 6.

The first time for the stable … the first time over 1000m … Maybe The Best was fresh first-up after a two-month break from race action and she jumped from the number one barrier draw against a line-up of six opponents which included Queen Sweeper who, at a starting price of $3.90, was the only runner near Maybe The Best in the betting, where the Vandyke trained runner started as a clearcut favourite at $2.25.

Maybe The Best wasn’t away well enough at the jump to take any real advantage from her barrier draw … in fact, she went all the way back to last going down the back stretch, some six lengths off the leader.

The field did close up coming to the home turn, leaving Maybe The Best just a couple of lengths shy of the lead as she improved her position on the inside.

On straightening, the run towards the inside became problematical though as Maybe The Best was surrounded by runners, not being able to improve moving forward, with a horse directly in front of her, while also being held tight and trapped on either side by two other rivals.

That remained the state of play for a good 150m (between the 400m and the 250m marks) during which time it looked like there might be a real danger of Maybe The Best being beaten while going to the line untested, but, when he could wait no longer if he was to get the desired result, jockey Ben Thompson eased Maybe The Best slightly approaching the 200m mark, giving himself just enough room to switch Maybe The Best out across heels and into clear galloping room.

Just how much of a ‘tragedy beaten’ Maybe The Best would have been if she had not got out was then emphasised by the way Maybe The Best swept to the lead, displaying an absolute authority over her rivals, ultimately scoring as she liked with those two lengths to spare.

It was a big result in his own way coming after the break and over a distance which is likely to prove short of her best.

The mare had shown good previous potential when racing for the Anthony and Sam Freedman training partnership and she came to Vandyke with a race record of two wins and four runner-up finishes from seven starts when racing over distances ranging from 1100m to 1400m … and the Vandyke team ensured that her form continues to move in the right direction.

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