Gai Waterhouse’s text message puts 2023 Cox Plate hope Alligator Blood in her league of greats

A text message Gai Waterhouse tapped out to Gerry Harvey tells you all you need to know about the esteem in which she holds Alligator Blood.

Gai Waterhouse's text message to owner Gerry Harvey after Alligator Blood won the Group 1 Might and Power Stakes at Caulfield.

Gai Waterhouse couldn’t wait to tap out the words on her mobile phone.

And her text message, to good friend and Alligator Blood’s managing owner Gerry Harvey, said it all.

“Evening Gerry. I couldn’t let the day finish without saying the biggest thanks for entrusting Alligator to us to train,” Waterhouse texted, after Alligator Blood won the Group 1 Might And Power.

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The next line on the text message was the kicker.

“He ranks with my great horses, so professional and makes his rivals look ordinary,” Waterhouse wrote.

Gai Waterhouse with her Cox Plate hope Alligator Blood. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Racing’s first lady is always effusive in her public praise of her horses but her private message to breeding supremo Harvey gives a glimpse behind stable doors and shows the exalted esteem in which she holds Alligator Blood.

The mighty former champion Juggler, a four-time Group 1 winner, took on the likes of Saintly, Octagonal, Filante, Might And Power, Doriemus, Dane Ripper, All Our Mob and always gave his all.

Grand Armee won seven Group 1s – the same as Alligator Blood.

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Perhaps his most memorable win was the 2004 Queen Elizabeth Stakes when he led all the way to upstage the John Hawkes-trained champion Lonhro, who was having his final race and was the raging $1.26 favourite.

Waterhouse says Alligator Blood can now be mentioned in the same conversation as those two turf icons.

Gai Waterhouse with Juggler back in the day.

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“Alligator Blood reminds me a lot of Juggler who had similar features and both have an amazing ability to roll up the sleeves and punch, punch, punch,” Waterhouse said.

“Grand Armee was similar, with a huge will to win.

“No-one thought Grand Armee would turn into the horse he did.

“Alligator Blood is big and he is strong and has got amazing determination to win and that’s hard to find.

“A lot of racehorses are big and strong, but you’ve got to have fire in your gut if you are a person or a horse.”

Originally published as Gai Waterhouse’s text message puts 2023 Cox Plate hope Alligator Blood in her league of greats