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Alligator Blood surged into Cox Plate contention with a tough all-the-way victory in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on Sunday.
Sent straight to the front by jockey Tim Clark in the small but star-studded field, Alligator Blood ($8) shrugged off a strong challenge from Zaaki ($2.70) early in the straight to land his third Group 1 win.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained gelding kicked strongly late to win by three-quarters of a length, with Mo’unga ($19) storming home to grab second ahead of Zaaki.
I’m Thunderstruck, the heavily-backed $2.15 favourite, ran on from second last to finish fourth.
Alligator Blood’s Cox Plate tilt was in trouble when Racing Victoria banned him from the spring carnival because of controversial owner Allan Endresz’s discharged bankruptcy status.
However, billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey bought a majority share from Endresz in August, paving the way for the Australian Guineas and Stradbroke Handicap winner to race in Melbourne.
The All Too Hard gelding was narrowly beaten by I’m Thunderstruck in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington before his Underwood triumph.
“Obviously he’s had a colourful career and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to train the horse,” Bott said.
“To take on a quality field and the pressure that was put onto him early in the race, I love the way he responded and kept fighting.
“It was a testing track here today and I expect him to keep finding under pressure over a bit further as well.”
Sydney-based Clark is confident Alligator Blood will run a strong 2040m in the $5 million Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 22.
“As I said earlier in the week, this race, apart from Anamoe, all the big guns were there,” Clark said.
“He’s proven himself over 1800 on a big roomy track like this so 2040 around The Valley, bring it on.”
Champion jockey Hugh Bowman was suspended for nine meetings and fined $3500 for breaching the whip use rule on Mo’unga.
Trainer Annabel Neasham said Mo’unga produced a perfect Cox Plate trial while Zaaki will improve from the second-up run.
“A lot of these horses had one extra run than him, so he’s going to improve greatly on today and will hopefully be peaking on October 22,” Neasham said of Zaaki.
Co-trainer Mick Price said he would get a better guide on I’m Thunderstruck’s Cox Plate credentials in the Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield next start.
Trainer Peter Moody and jockey Luke Nolen combined for a feature double with Group 1 prospects I Wish I Win and Waltz On By.
