Brilliant Return for Alligator Blood

Tara Madgwick - Saturday Dec 14

All Too Hard’s sensational three year-old Alligator Blood returned from a break at Eagle Farm on Saturday to score a dominant win in the Listed BRC Gold Edition Plate (1200m) cementing his place as a hot favourite for the $2million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas next month at the Gold Coast.

Alligator Blood was a stakes-winner in Melbourne during the spring - image Grant CourtneyThe David Vandyke trained gelding has been beaten only once going down by a nose to Super Seth in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas and was having his first start since then.

Tuned up with a recent trial, he always looked comfortable for Ryan Maloney, travelling smoothly on the bit and then surging to the line to win by more than two lengths.

"I think that showed he is a better horse now. He was happy to sit off the pace and happy to be relaxed. He really came into the race quickly from the 600m to the 400m," Vandyke said.

"His pre-race behaviour has been the best it has been. So it was pleasing all around."

Vandyke indicated he may run Alligator Blood in the Group III Vo Rogue Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm on December 28, but would make a decision on that in about 10 days time.

All Too Hard is the sire of Alligator Blood"But of course his main mission is the Magic Millions Guineas and he may not need another run. I will make up my mind after I gallop him the Tuesday before the Vo Rogue," Vandyke said.

"If I think he doesn't need another run he can go straight to the Millions."

A $55,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Baramul Stud draft for Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate, Alligator Blood has won six of seven starts and over $765,000 in prizemoney.

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Alligator Blood is the last foal of Lake Superior, who died in 2017. She was an unraced half-sister by Encosta de Lago to stakes-winner Cantonese from the family of Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy.

Alligator Blood is a real rising star for Vinery Stud based All Too Hard and is one of four stakes-winners for him this season.




 

Advertisment

Race Result - Pages Gold Edition Plate LR 1200m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(3) Time: 1:09.39
1
Alligator Blood
- 3g All Too Hard (AUS) x Lake Superior (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: David Vandyke Rdr: Ryan Maloney 57
2
2.3
Eleven Eleven
- 3g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Smokin' Alice (USA) (Smoke Glacken (USA))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: K S Latham 57
Fastnet Rock
3
3.8
The Odyssey
- 3c Better Than Ready (AUS) x Jessica's Hope (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: K M Schweida Rdr: James Orman 57
4
3.9
Battle Strike
- 3c Shooting To Win (AUS) x Victory Cry (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: A J & T Edmonds Rdr: M Rodd 57
5
4.0
Karaja
- 3f Zoffany (IRE) x Cascada (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: Ron Stewart 55
6
4.1
Oh Five Glory
- 3f Unencumbered (AUS) x Distinctive Flyer (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: P & W Hulbert Rdr: L V Cassidy 55
7
5.2
Lubuk
- 3g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Bippo No Bungus (AUS) (Dubawi (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: R Fradd 57
8
5.6
Le Palmier
- 3g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Imanoremiss (AUS) (Made Of Gold (USA))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: M Mc Gillivray 57
9
6.9
Shooting Love
- 3f Shooting To Win (AUS) x Exquisite Art (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: M A Currie Rdr: Jake Bayliss 55
10
7.0
Raging Pole
- 3g Better Than Ready (AUS) x Touchy (AUS) (Untouchable (AUS))
Tnr: Tony & Maddysen Sears Rdr: B Prebble 57
More Reading...
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
It’s been a pretty steady start to spring in terms of 2YO races and we are still waiting to see a first season sire post a winner, but there has been action aplenty at the trials which would indicate the pre-Christmas period is set to ignite.
One to Watch – Warwick Farm
The Australia Day meeting at Warwick Farm produced an impressive debut winner from the powerful Team Hawkes by their former stable star All Too Hard.
Darley Announce 2027 European Fees -Night of Thunder Soars to €450,000
It will be Dubawi central at Darley in 2027 with the legendary 24YO sire priced at £350,000, but the roster is topped by his champion son Night of Thunder at €450,000 and there are three more G1 winning sons or grand-sons of Dubawi also added to a power packed roster.
Hawkes Family Celebrates Amangiri's Maiden Stakes Win
The Hawkes family enjoyed a great ride with the outstanding racehorse All Too Hard and they have an emotional attachment to his daughter Amangiri who earned her first stakes win in Saturday’s $200,000 Group III Powerflo Solutions Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
Two Foals and Two Winners for Snitzerland
The stud fortunes of former top class Group I winning sprinter Snitzerland have taken a rapid upswing in the past month with her second foal Hard Landing winning the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington and her first foal Saas Fee casting off maiden status at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, both winners sired by All Too Hard.
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
Alligator Blood Ready for Magic Millions 3YO Guineas
Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard has had a terrific start to the season churning out 50 winners including four stakes-winners with his star performer undoubtedly exciting three year-old gelding Alligator Blood, who was last seen finishing an agonizingly close second to Super Seth in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas.
Remembering Sunline – The Queen of the Cox Plate Before Winx
From our vantage point in 2026, we can look back at modern Cox Plate history and marvel at how quickly the years are passing.
G1 Aussie Pedigree Watch –Newly Minted
Pedigree does matter if you want to be winning races longer than 1200m, although in an interesting twist a colt bred on face value for speed is in fact from the family of Zabeel.
2027 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1881 entries for the 2027 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?