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By Ray Hickson

Thirty years after starting his training career at Kembla Grange, David Vandyke is planning a homecoming of sorts with his star Alligator Blood pencilled in to end his Sydney spring campaign in the $1m The Gong.

Trainer David Vandyke and Alligator Blood. (Pic: Grant Guy)

While border restrictions may prevent Vandyke from being there himself he said it’d be great for the Illawarra Turf Club, in the race’s second year, to have a headline act like Alligator Blood.

Of course it all hinges on how the four-year-old comes through his main mission, the $7.5m Golden Eagle on October 31, as to whether he will head to Kembla on November 21.

These days Vandyke trains out of the Sunshine Coast and while his 10 years or so at Kembla Grange coincided with some very tough times he’s excited at the prospect of returning to show off his best horse in a race he couldn’t have imagined would exist when he kicked off back in 1990.

“It was great memories, though I wasn’t as well back then as I am now,’’ he said.

“I was in one of the first big stables that was build there around 1988 and Keith Nolan ran the club, there was no big grandstand and he bought the club out of dire straits.

“Having won the premiership there at 22 it would be wonderful to go back there and win the biggest race on the track.

“I never imagined there’d be an Everest or a Golden Eagle or any of these races.

“Each year there were the same races and we planned towards them. The Illawarra Classic, or the Brambles Classic it was called, was the big race and I never imagined there’d be any other big race.

“They used to have a Calcutta the night before, it was the biggest day of the year and we were all pretty comfortable with the way things were.

“It’s a different world now. Nothing surprises me now but if you’d said to me back then there’d be a $1m race I wouldn’t have expected it.”

Alligator Blood is due to arrive in Sydney early next month for the $500,00 Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick on October 10 then on to the Golden Eagle (1500m) three weeks later.

The gelding, currently $6 Golden Eagle favourite with TAB, had his first start for the spring in an 1110m sprint at Doomben carrying 61kg into third place and pleasing his trainer with his effort.

Since then he contested a jump out at the Sunshine Coast last weekend, Vandyke said it will help bring him on for the extra distance.

“He settled nicely and found the line, he didn’t set the world on fire but he got a pass mark and he has come through it well,’’ he said.

The Odyssey spoils the party for Alligator Blood in a great show of sustained speed. pic.twitter.com/F0taErEn8u

— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 12, 2020

“I’m looking forward to seeing him over the 1300m which would be a more suitable trip but I’d say his best distance is probably around the Golden Eagle distance.”

The inaugural running of The Gong (1600m) was won by the Chris Waller-trained Mister Sea Wolf.

It was robbed of a superstar presence when Pat Webster’s now retired champ Happy Clapper, who was due to contest the race, had to be spelled after he developed a temperature a week out from the race.

Vandyke said Alligator Blood’s owners are happy with the three-start Sydney/Kembla Grange campaign and hopes to be able to confirm a Gong appearance after the Golden Eagle.

“I’ll let him tell me and that’s where the owners are good,’’ he said.

“If we’re not happy with him we don’t have to go in that direction but if we are happy it’d be a nice race to win.”

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