Can Alligator Blood Become the First Group 1 Winner for All Too Hard?

Mark Smith - Sunday September 29

Alligator Blood will be given his chance to emulate his sire All Too Hard in winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas after keeping his record at a perfect five for five in Sunday's Group III Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

Given a positive ride by Ryan Moloney, Alligator Blood tracked the leader Roccabascerana before taking over at the 300m and stayed on strongly to defeat the favourite Dalasan (Dalakhani) by with the $2.3 million Fastnet Rock colt back in third ahead of Roccabascerana (Fighting Sun) in fourth. (image Darryl Sherer)

Advertisement


Dalasan received a cosy run but he seems to take a while to warm up and he was doing his best work in the final 100 metres.

Alligator Blood's trainer David Vandyke said before the race that he could not have the son of All Too Hard any fitter although it was hard to line up the colt's form with all his previous four wins coming in Queensland with three on his home track at the Sunshine Coast and one at Doomben.

"It's surreal really. He's jumped each hurdle we have put in front of him and he's kept improving," Vandyke said.

"Like a lot of good horses when they get a bit older and get a bit seasoned they lift to another level. He was against the big boys today and it was just lovely to see him up there on pace and wanting to do it.

"Ryan just rated him well and he is just a bloody beauty.

"He should get a mile easily, so we are all very excited."

A $55,000 Magic Millions purchase by the Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate from the draft of Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud, Alligator Blood takes his earnings to $289,250 from his five wins.

He is the best of two winners from three to race out of the unraced Encosta de Lago mare Lake Superior who is a half-sister to Listed ATC Christmas Cup winner Cantonese and the stakes-placegetters Chateau Margaux and Monteux.

Lake Superior is a daughter of the Group 1 VRC Oaks and Group 1 SAJC Australasian Oaks runner-up Kylikwong (Red Ransom) who is a sister to Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy and the dual Listed stakes-winner Red Element.

Sadly, Lake Superior died in September 2017 and Alligator Blood is her final foal.

Alligator Blood becomes the tenth stakes-winner for Vinery Stud's All Too Hard who won the Caulfield Guineas in 2009 at the expense of his old nemesis Pierro however unlike Pierro, All Too Hard is searching for his first Group 1 winner.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Brilliant Return for Alligator Blood
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.
Boxing Day Stakes Double for All Too Hard
Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard was in hot form on Boxing Day with a stakes-winner in Australia in All Too Royal and another in South Africa where Roy’s Riviera captured the Group III Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville.
2026 Inglis Yearling Sale Series Entries Open
Entries for the 2026 Inglis Select Yearling Sales Series – which will be headlined by the presence of the highly anticipated Snitzel x Winx colt at the Easter Sale – are now open.
First SW For So You Think Stallion Tamasa As Cicala Takes Out Lightning
One of just three named foals by the So You Think stallion Tamasa, the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea trained 3yo filly Cicala remained unbeaten, going three from three by winning the $120,000 Listed SAJC Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville.
Sires With Winners - Sunday July 27
Here is the full list of 54 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
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.
Carrazzo Melbourne 'Sport of Kings' Tax Talk
It gives Baumgartners great pleasure to announce that the Paul Carrazzo’s “Sport of Kings” horse tax talk returns to Inglis Melbourne on Wednesday 13 August.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 26
Here is the full list of 86 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Zoustar Filly Wander Dune Impresses On Debut In South Africa
Making her debut as favourite in the Race Coast Maiden Juvenile Plate (1200m) at Kenilworth, South Africa on Saturday, 2yo Australian-bred Zoustar filly Wander Dune impressed with an emphatic victory.
One to Watch - Belmont
Racing made a welcome return to Belmont Park yesterday and the first winner to salute on the freshly renovated track was a two year-old that started a red hot favourite and could not have been more impressive!