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At first glance, David Vandyke's post-race celebrations if he wins the Queensland Oaks might not look too dissimilar from other trainers enjoying the afterglow of a momentous Group 1 triumph.
You might perhaps spy Vandyke drinking a frothy amber liquid as he raises a glass with connections.
Or he might even be sipping another beverage that, at a cursory look, could be mistaken for a gin and tonic.
But that will be his favourite drink of sparkling water 'with a bit of lemon or lime in it' … or a zero alcohol beer.
It's been the same for 26 years, since the last time the trainer touched the demon drink.
Sobriety sits well with him.
Vandyke was once a grog monster, addicted to hard drugs and even slept in his car for a period and considered ending it all.
That was in Sydney in the 1990s but there is a new Vandyke today – and his move to the Sunshine Coast nine years ago has been a godsend.
The last thing Vandyke wants to be is complacent as, despite being clean for a long time, he knows that remaining sober is always a work in progress.
'I've got to be a bit careful giving myself a pat on the back,' Vandyke tells The Courier-Mail.
'If I focus on what I have achieved, it can give me a false sense of where I am going.
'I will talk to anyone about it, it's part of being a recovering addict that we just share where we are at.
'I have been pretty safe with the work I have done to remain sober.
'Sobriety is the key to everything I do.
'My program of recovery and being sober unlocks everything else, everything seems to flow from there … relationships, work, life, fast horses.
'I wake up most days and just think 'Gee, I'm glad I didn't have a drink yesterday'.
Vandyke, who can burst back into the Group 1 spotlight if favourite and winning machine Philia scores the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday, has a mentor to help ensure he never has a destructive addiction spiral again.
As important as his work is training horses, and it is what puts money on the table, he also tries to guide other recovering addicts out of dark places.
'Part of the recovery process is sharing what we have gained and drawing a path for those recovering behind us,' Vandyke said.
'I often have people (recovering addicts) talking to me about where they are at.
'That might be phone conversations, or people coming and seeing me.
'I am a mentor and I have got mentors myself.
'I have people that I talk to and I have people who talk to me.
'If I wasn't training horses, I would like to think I would be doing the same thing.
'I have to do recovery work on a daily basis.
'The broad term involves being in communication with other recovering addicts.
'It's about living my best life and physical training is also part of that.
'If I let myself slide back physically or mentally, then there could be problems.
'I am healthy and well. I wouldn't move from where I am on the Sunshine Coast, it's a great spot to be.'
Regular gym and swimming sessions are an important part of Vandyke's life and the trainer says he has never really been tempted by the grog since he gave it up and turned his life around.
While beers often flow freely in the winners rooms of racecourses, there are other ways to enjoy a win on the track.
'I am happy to go and have a drink, but without alcohol,' Vandyke said.
'I will have a zero alcohol beer or a sparkling water with a bit of lemon or lime in it, that's probably my chosen drink.
'I had my last drink when I was 33. I am 59 now.
'When one of my mates is having a red wine, I might like to have a look at the bottle, but I won't have a drink of it.
'I moved up to Queensland because of the lifestyle more so than the work, I just felt I wasn't in the right place in Sydney.
'I moved up here and met my people, so to speak.'
Racing has provided plenty of natural highs for Vandyke since he moved to Queensland including a Group 1 Oaks win with Gypsy Goddess (2022) and Alligator Blood's famous Group 1 Australian Guineas triumph in 2020.
But you sense sobriety is his greatest achievement – more so than his four career Group 1s or the many millions of dollars in prizemoney his horses have won.
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