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.
Bringing up 150 Group 1 wins for Gai Waterhouse and the 16th since joining forces with Adrian Bott, Alligator Blood finished powerfully under Tim Clark to defeat the luckless Private Eye (Al Maher) by a length with a further one and a half lengths back to Rothfire (Rothesay) in third.
It was the second win at the highest level for Alligator Blood who was a nine-time winner for David Vandyke, including the Australian Guineas. The son of All Too hard was first past the post in the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas before his disqualification from a positive swab.
That led to Supreme Court action by owner Allan Endresz who was later banned from racing in NSW as an undischarged bankrupt.
Alligator Blood indicated he was back on track with an outstanding second in the BRC Sprint at his first run for Waterhouse/Bott.
"Incredible for Gai and Adrian - 150 Group 1s for Gai and her first Stradbroke and Alligator Blood back to his best," stable rep Neil Paine enthused.
"As has been well documented over the last year or two, the horse has had problems. But Gai and Adrian, the staff back at Randwick and up here in Brisbane, have worked overtime to get this horse right.
"I told the owners before he's just such a happy horse and a great horse to do anything with. We're rapt that we've got him, and he's come back to his best.
"We were a bit wary first-up two weeks ago, but when he put that run on the board, he had improved so much since. Tim Clark came up and rode him on Tuesday and said this horse is flying.
"He looked at treat in the yard; it's just incredible that Gai and Adrian could get him back to where he is."
Tim Clark has no doubt Alligator Blood is back to his best.
"He showed a great turn of foot. I haven't had a lot to do with the horse's career, but that was a pretty special performance," Clark said.
"I rode him first up here and he went terrific. I came up and worked him on Tuesday, he's a pretty casual horse. He did as much as you'd expect him to do, but with that run under the belt, he had taken that bit of improvement.
"I was a bit dejected when he drew that barrier, but it panned out beautiful for him.
"It’s great to ride another Group 1 winner for Gai and Adrian. Gai’s 150th and first Stradbroke. I’m sure they’d be stoked.”
Bred by Gerry Harvey and sold for $55,000 to Allan Endresz's Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Alligator Blood advances his record to ten wins, three seconds, and a third from 20 starts with earnings of $2,807,250.
He 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.
All Too Hard stands at Vinery Stud in 2022 for a fee of $38,500.
