Alligator Blood Goes Back-to-Back in Underwood Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday September 23

Seven days after finishing second to the unstoppable Mr Brightside in the Makybe Diva Stakes, courageous All Too Hard gelding Alligator Blood scored an emotional win under Damien Oliver in the $750,000 Group 1 Live Life Foundation Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

Alligator Blood won that a touch cheekily (image Grant Courtney)

In defending the title he won last year, defeating Mo'unga and Zaaki, Alligator Blood hit the front at the 300m and was unrelating to defeat Tuvalu (Kermadec) by a neck with Duais (Shamus Award) a half-neck back in third.

With his sixth Group 1 victory, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained gelding advances his record to 14 wins, five seconds and a third from 32 starts with earnings of $6,875,925.

Gai Waterhouse paid special tribute to Damien Oliver.

“He’s not going to go out without a bang. He’ll be like Frankie Dettori. It was a fabulous win today,” the exuberant Waterhouse said.  

Advertisement
“He got into a bit of a scrimmage in the first two furlongs, got shuffled back to fifth, had to come three wide and then he got into that lovely rhythm that he’s got, a great stride. He was fabulous.

“I think going up in distance there was less pressure on, and he could get into that rhythm that he is very good at. It’s great that there are so many people here to see Alligator Blood and it’s great that he could deliver. It’s so exciting for everyone.

“I will speak to Adrian. We may go to the Turnbull, but we’ll wait and see. Today we backed him up as it gave us a few more options, but that is exactly where we want to be, Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.”

“You never know if that opportunity is going to come. It was unfortunate Tim’s accident and the fall, but he is on the road to recovery now and I was able to pick up this horse and I’m happy to just fill in for him while he’s making his way back.

“She (Gai) was adamant she wanted him to lead. I just felt, on his back today, he was a bit quieter on the seven day back-up and he wasn’t as sharp from the gates today. There were a few others a bit quicker and they crossed him pretty sharply. I had to wait and hold my nerve a little bit until they settled and then I was able to go upside the lead.

Emotional win for connections (image Grant Courtney)

“It was a great effort from a horse that is tough and resilient over a long period of time. He’s had some injuries to overcome and he showed a lot of fight when the leader took a fair bit of sprint out of them. We had to take it up a fair way out and he held them off quite strongly.”

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Alligator Blood sold for $55,000 to Allan Endresz's Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is the last foal of Lake Superior, an unraced half-sister by Encosta de Lago to stakes-winner Cantonese from the Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy family.

All Too Hard stands at Vinery Stud for $38,500

 

Visit the profile page for All Too Hard

All Too Hard in upcoming sales:
Advertisment

Race Result - Live Life Foundation Underwood Stakes Gr1 1800m

Caulfield Track: Good(3) Time: 1:48.53
1
Alligator Blood
- 7g All Too Hard (AUS) x Lake Superior (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: D Oliver 59
All Too Hard
2
1.0
Tuvalu
- 6g Kermadec (NZ) x Hangin' Tough (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: L Smith Rdr: Jamie Kah 59
3
1.2
Duais
- 6m Shamus Award (AUS) x Meerlust (AUS) (Johannesburg (USA))
Tnr: Edward Cummings Rdr: Craig Williams 57
MM Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale $0
Seller: Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: Withdrawn
4
1.4
Soulcombe
- 5g Frankel (GB) x Ribbons (GB) (Manduro (GER))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Shinn 59
5
2.1
Right You Are
- 7g So You Think (NZ) x Leica Ding (AUS) (Redding (NZ))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ben Allen 59
6
2.2
Without A Fight
- 7g Teofilo (IRE) x Khor Sheed (GB) (Dubawi (IRE))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: M Zahra 59
7
2.4
Nonconformist
- 7g Rebel Raider (AUS) x Good Thinking (AUS) (Hold That Tiger (USA))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: H Coffey 59
8
2.9
Lindermann
- 4h Lonhro (AUS) x Self Esteem (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Bowman 58
9
4.4
Bank Maur
- 4h Maurice (JPN) x Banksia (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: Richard Laming Rdr: Jye McNeil 58
10
4.5
Vow And Declare
- 8g Declaration Of War (USA) x Geblitzt (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: W Egan 59
11
4.6
Alenquer
- 6g Adlerflug (GER) x Wild Blossom (GER) (Areion (GER))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Declan Bates 59
12
7.4
Mo'unga
- 6h Savabeel (AUS) x Chandelier (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: J Mott 59
13
7.7
Attrition
- 4h Churchill (IRE) x Queen's Kiss (AUS) (French Deputy (USA))
Tnr: Mitchell Freedman Rdr: B Melham 58
14
8.4
Smokin' Romans
- 7g Ghibellines (AUS) x Inferno (NZ) (Yamanin Vital (NZ))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 59
15
10.2
Lunar Flare
- 8m Fiorente (IRE) x My Fair Lago (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: M J Dee 57
More Reading...
Alligator Blood Back To Best in Stradbroke
Alligator Blood's rehabilitation is complete after All Too Hard's top-class son powered his way to victory in Saturday's $1,500,000 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
What a Warrior! - Alligator Blood Triumphs in Futurity
It appeared that Alligator Blood was on the downward slide as 2021 drew to a close, but the son of All Too Hard has found a new lease of life under the training of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Alligator Blood Goes Coast to Coast in Champions Mile
Few horses overcome the adversity faced by Alligator Blood, who rarely gives anything other than his best, with his big heart carrying him to victory in Saturday's $3,000,000 Group 1 Kennedy Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington.