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By Ray Hickson

It can’t be easy for any trainer to have to explain to their owners that a horse they’ve invested in probably isn’t going to reach any great heights.

That’s exactly a conversation trainer David Vandyke had with connections of Gypsy Goddess before she kicked off her racing career.

But after five wins from as many starts it’s safe to say the ex-Sydney, now Sunshine Coast based, trainer is happy to have been wrong because we’re talking about an exciting three-year-old who is well fancied to extend her winning run in Monday’s Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Newcastle.

“I didn’t have a big opinion of her, I mentioned to the clients she might not be around long because I didn’t think she would end up being very good,’’ Vandyke said.

“She was showing very little, she was getting beaten in gallops and her trials were fair.

“Plenty of times it goes the other way. I’ll have a good opinion of a horse and it lets the side down.

“It’s nice to have one that flies under the radar, she’s like that on race day too. She pokes along steadily, is no fuss, she’s easy.

Gypsy Goddess wins at Eagle Farm on March 12

“Any horse that wins five from five including a Group race excites me, the fact she’s favourite in two Group 1s in the next couple of weeks is exciting so it’s a good position to be in.”

Gypsy Goddess, equal favourite at $4 with TAB on Wednesday, started $26 on debut in a Sunshine Coast maiden back in October and came from near last to win.

In her four subsequent starts she’s been hard in the market and returned from her runaway Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes (2100m) win a week before Christmas with an arrogant showing over a mile at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.

It was a performance that had Vandyke a little lost for words – he hoped she’d win and show she was on target for Sydney but the ease of the 3-1/2 length victory was unexpected.

“At a mile first-up at Eagle Farm they are entitled to get a bit tired late but the further they went the better she went,’’ he said.

“I would have been happy for her to run home and run top three but the way she went from the 500-400m she put the contest beyond doubt.

“She’s the new kid on the block, whether she can measure up we will find out Saturday.”

Prior to Saturday’s Vinery Stud Stakes, Gypsy Goddess was a clear $4.50 favourite for the Group 1 $1m The Star Australian Oaks (2400m) on Day 2 of The Star Championships.

William Pike has been booked to ride her in both races and Vandyke said she only needs to tick a couple of boxes, chiefly the wet track one, this weekend to consolidate her place as the Oaks benchmark.

“She’s going to be racing some pretty handy horses, she has the trip down to contend with but she’s done nothing wrong here and she certainly deserves a crack at the big time,’’ he said.

“I’m not sure how she is going to cope (in the ground), it’s a matter of waiting and seeing what she does. She’s not a big horse, I think she will get through it okay.

“I think if she wins this week she will probably go to the Oaks a fairly short quote.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting