Memsie Stakes 2017: Vandyke has belief Yankee will be on song in comeback

PODCAST: DAVID Vandyke has set himself a monumental task on two fronts as he divides his attention between two special runners at Caulfield and Doomben.

DAVID Vandyke has set himself a monumental task on two fronts as he divides his attention between Yankee Rose’s Memsie Stakes tilt at Caulfield and the return of an old stable favourite at Doomben.

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Punters have become accustomed to Vandyke setting Yankee Rose for big first-up assignments.

You could argue she was unlucky not to land last year’s Golden Slipper first up, before she found herself in the uncustomary role of leader in the Golden Rose.

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Now she’s making a tilt on the $1 million Memsie first up off a 303-day break.

But even if Yankee Rose is successful at Caulfield, that feat would be upstaged if Prince Cheri could conjure a miracle victory at Doomben after a two-year absence.

Prince Cheri was the beaten favourite in the 2013 Metropolitan and has had a diverse career since that day.

Prince Cheri’s career was interrupted at the peak of his powers because of a “kissing spine” where two of his vertebra were touching and he required an operation.

Then last year he went to stud, but after serving only six mares, his owner asked Vandyke to try him again as a racehorse.

“I’ve never had a stallion, especially a nine-year-old, go back into work after they’ve been serving mares. So it’s all virgin territory for me,” Vandyke said.

“He was a bit out of sorts when he arrived and it took about a month for him to settle in, but he’s in pretty good shape now.

“It’s hard to tip a horse that’s been off the scene for so long and had a change of life, but anyone who looks at him will be impressed with the condition he’s in and I expect him to run a cheeky little race.”

Vandyke said “unusually” everything has gone smoothly in preparation for Yankee Rose’s return, having recovered from an operation to remove a bone chip and her troublesome feet the best they’ve ever been.

David Vandyke says “unusually” everything has gone smoothly in preparation for Yankee Rose’s long-awaited return. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“She’s in as good a shape as I’ve seen in her career,” her trainer said.

She’s been in work all up six months, the majority of that time at the Sunshine Coast.

The days are 20 plus degrees in winter and I’m really seeing the benefit of being trained in Queensland, now that we are down here. She’s carrying that wellness forward into this important part of her preparation.

Having won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes and run third in the Cox Plate, Yankee Rose is a leading contender to be named Queensland’s Horse of the Year next Saturday night.

“I’ve only been in Queensland just over a year and it would be a wonderful thing to show we are Queenslanders now and we’re accepted up here,” Vandyke said.