Alligator Blood’s NSW racing ban has been lifted, opening up exciting new opportunities for the Group 1 superstar, including a potential trend at the Sydney Autumn Festival.
News Corp can reveal co-trainer Adrian Bott may be given the final green light by NSW stewards on Tuesday to run the headline horse in Sydney.
FALL FESTIVAL: EVERYTHING IN ACENET IS $1
“So now that racing is allowed in NSW, all the ownership and structural changes that have taken place before the Melbourne Spring Carnival have satisfied all previous concerns in NSW,” Bott News Corp.
“You’ll probably see him in a number of feature (Sydney Autumn Festival) nominations, without any finishing.
“We want to put ourselves in the best position to give this horse the best options.
“Now that we have those options, we can make a decision.”
Alligator Blood Co-trainer Adrian Bott says the headline horse is now allowed in NSW and will be among the feature nominations at the Sydney Autumn Festival. Picture: Getty Images
Until now, Alligator Blood has not been allowed to race in Sydney, despite Racing Victoria allowing him to compete in the 2022 spring carnival following a change of ownership.
Billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey had fallen upon himself to maintain the attack on the true blood of Alligator, acquiring a majority share from the wealthy Allan Endresz who is no longer in ownership.
It is now possible that races such as the Group 1 All Old Stakes and the Mighty Doncaster Mile are coming on the radar for Alligator Blood.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes could also be considered, although the star horse is likely to be reserved for distances of less than 2000m after a strong fifth behind Anamoe in the Cox Plat.
However, despite the Sydney Autumn Festival having already been green-lit, Bott insisted that the Melbourne campaign would be primarily focused on the two races.
FALL FESTIVAL: EVERYTHING IN ACENET IS $1
The four-time Group 1 First Port of Call winner of the autumn will be the winner of the Group 1 Futurity Stakes followed by a tilt at the rich All-Star Mile.
“The horse’s immediate intention is to attack him in the All-Star Mile,” said Bott, who co-trains with Gai Waterhouse.
“We remember that he had quite a busy time of the war last campaign and Gerry (Harvey) is in line to think that he can have a relatively light autumn campaign to get him back to the spring.
“The horse will be tested at Geelong on Tuesday and will have another trial before running in the first-up Futurity and then the second-up All-Star Mile.”
“After these two runs he could either stay in Melbourne or come to Sydney.”
Alligator Blood scores in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Flemington. Picture: Racing images via Getty Images
Alligator Blood had gold in 2022 with three Group 1s – the Stradbroke Stakes, the Subbose Stakes and the Champions Mile.
He has not returned to Sydney since the pair ran a 2020 campaign that included a runner-up finish in the Silver Eagle.
David Vandyke taught Alligator Blood then – the horse never returned to Bott and Waterhouse at their home in Sydney.
Meanwhile, Bott says the Gold Coast Magic Giant 2YO Classic angler Summer Lover is poised to compensate for the loss of Magic Giant winner Law.
Summer Pia flashed home third in the Giant Magic and will attack the Golden Slipper, who was last seen in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick on February 25.
“She will probably have a trial on Monday and then most likely head towards Dulce, which sounds like where Tony Gollan’s (Skirt The Law) horse is going.
“You’d think people like Pali Champagne and Pali Sires would agree with him, but I’d like to get her into the Clipper where the high pressure will be at 1200(m).
“We’re certainly not trying to beat Clipper with her, we want to try to get her fit and get her there as a main goal.
“That would probably be the one run on Clipper that would leave options open if he were to look towards Sires.”
“Platinum Jubilee (Magic Millions runner-up) will probably head towards the Silver Slipper.”