Alligator Blood feeds on Vo Rogue Plate rivals but David Vandyke admits main mission yet to come

Trainer David Vandyke was content with the latest Alligator Blood performance but it’s next month’s Magic Millions Guineas where he hopes his star can exact revenge that really counts.

David Vandyke will spend nearly every waking hour with Alligator Blood in eye-shot as he meticulously plots revenge in next month’s Magic Millions Guineas.

Alligator Blood made it seven wins in eight starts when a dominant winner of Saturday’s Vo Rogue Plate.

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In a more slowly run race, Ryan Maloney was able to sit in the first three and peel to the outside on straightening, making it a painless watch for those who backed him from $1.50 to $1.35.

Now Vandyke has only a fortnight to wait to exact revenge for Alligator Blood’s heartbreaking defeat in October’s Caulfield Guineas.

“I’m not going to have a day off in the next two weeks. The last $2 million race we went to, we got beat, so we’ve got unfinished business,” he said.

“Mentally he’s kept improving. He was better today than he’s ever been.

“I thought he’d improved on what we’d seen previously and it was pretty painless up the straight.”

Vandyke says Alligator Blood has a few aces up the sleeve and he’s still unsure where the ceiling might be.

Alligator Blood holds a decisive lead in the run to the post in the Vo Rogue Plate.

“He’s yet to get into a dog fight and he’s the sort of horse that will respond,” he said. “Is there much else there? I don’t know, but he’s just doing it so easy at the moment.

“He’s adaptable, if they go fast he can get cover and switch off, if they don’t he can sit up there. He’s the complete racehorse.”

“The thing we want is to be ready in two weeks. He should bounce back really well off that run.”

Maloney said he could have led, but he just wanted to look after the horse, with his Grand Final still two weeks away.

Ryan Maloney returns to scale after riding Alligator Blood to victory.

“It was actually a bit easier today. It was a dawdle early and a sprint home,” he said.

Glen Boss was taken with the performance of runner-up Profit and even though he says the son of Dundeel has “2000m written all over him” he still expects him to be competitive in the Guineas.

“He’s a genuine competitor. I got into a bit of ‘argey-bargey’ and my horse lost his compass there on the home turn for some reason. Probably the blinkers the first time and I thought if you run third, you’ve run well. He’s run second,” Boss said.

“I like the winner, he looks like a really nice horse and has the score on the board, but I imagine the margin will be a bit less next start.”

LADY’S DAY

Jami Lady secured her place on Magic Millions day when she took out the QTIS 0-90 Handicap (1200m).

The Steve O’Dea trained mare now gains ballot free entry into the $1M QTIS on January 11.

“She’s matured into a lovely mare and she paraded a treat,” O’Dea’s stable manager Matt Hoysted said.

“We wanted to ride her a touch off the speed, because we’ve done a lot of work getting her to relax.

“She’s got two weeks to the Magic Millions now and she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in that race.

THE VERDICT

SNOWDEN CONTENT WITH TRIO

Peter Snowden is likely to be content with just the three runners for he and son Paul in next month’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic, despite having the option to start as many as three more.

Aim firmed to $4.80 favourite for the Classic despite not racing on Saturday, but stablemate King’s Legacy was the monster mover, with Ladbrokes trimming him from $26 to $6 second pick.

Snowden also has Nitrous, who is a $21 chance after winning at Randwick on Saturday.

Sancy and Stellar Pauline are also inside the cut off at the moment and Strike is just outside, but Snowden said all three are likely to miss, although he hasn’t ruled out Stellar Pauline yet.

There was some speculation about Snowden backing up Bartley this week in a bid to qualify, but he ruled it out at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Bartley was bottled up in the four horse field and never got a chance to show his true wares.

“It was suggested we run again (to try and qualify), but I won’t push him. He’s too good a horse to do that to,” Snowden said.

“We will back off for a couple of weeks and then set him for the Slipper. Sometimes you just have to play the cards you are dealt.”

Wyong winner Farnan is third pick at $8, while Ladbrokes eased Every Rose from $6 out to $9.

Her trainer Mark Newnham wasn’t perturbed at all by yesterday’s defeat to King’s Legacy.

“I’m really happy with that. It was a good solid run, She just peaked 80m out, which doesn’t surprise me, because she was very big at Wyong, she’s improved a bit today and she’s got that little bit more to go,” Newnham said.

“The beauty of having her qualified already is the fact we can time it so she’s at her best on Magic Millions day and not every race is a Grand Final leading up to it.

“Peter (Snowden) is always going to have a good group of two-year-olds. He’s always got a good team and he’s going to be there in numbers, but (Every Rose) is a good filly, I was pleased with the turn of foot she showed today, but she peaked on it just late in the race.

“It’s nice to have that little bit of improvement to come.”

Alligator Blood firmed from $2.10 to $1.75 for the Guineas, while Newnham’s Diamond Thunder is out to $10. The trainer said he would likely put blinkers on for MM day.

Aim has maintained favouritism for the Magic Millions Classic despite not running at the weekend.

DISAPPOINTING BLONDEAU PADDOCK BOUND

Glen Boss suggested beaten McLachlan favourite Blondeau never felt comfortable on Saturday.

“He raced very green and action in the straight was nothing like it was the other day, so he will go to the paddock now. He just didn’t feel the same horse underneath me,” he said.

GOLLAN CHAT WORKS WONDERS FOR NOTHDURFT

Baylee Nothdurft wasted no time returning to the winning list when he coaxed a form reversal out of Deladies Boy in the opener.

Nothdurft spent 25 days on the sidelines serving two suspension and the stint cost him the winning ride on Vega One in The $250,000 Gateway.

Gollan said he sat down with Nothdurft during his time out and discussed a range of issues, including his weight and the extra opportunities that will come with Jim Byrne on the sidelines for an extended period.

“I’m proud of him. He’s riding at 54kg and he’s going really good,” Gollan said.

Nothdurft, who won the Apprentice title at his first attempt last season, has stated his ambition to win this year’s Brisbane Metropolitan Premiership.

He trails Byrne by 4.5 wins, with Stephanie Thornton and Ryan Maloney next in line.

DUSTY ENDING FOR DALE SMITH

Magic Millions aspirant Dusty Tycoon dumped jockey Dale Smith after completing a trackwork spin on the Eagle Farm A-Grass, but escaped unscathed.

Smith suffered mild concussion in the incident, which happened after the filly took an awkward step at the crossing. He opted to stand down from his rides yesterday, but told Heathcote he will be fine to partner the filly in a barrier trial on Tuesday.

Cult racehorse The Candy Man wins the Magic Millions Shoot Out.

THE CANDY CLUB SOAKING IT UP

Sydney couple Clara Thomsen and Arthur Vickers were so taken by The Candy Man when they saw him in Sydney earlier this year, they have made it their mission to watch him every time he races.

On Saturday, decked out in their now familiar The Candy Man caps and T-shirts, Thomsen and Vickers were among the thousands cheering on the popular grey in his Shoot Out win.

“We met him in the spring and were instantly connected to him,” Vickers said.

“We now go to his stable before he races and have really bonded with him. We have just fallen in love with him.”

They now have to book themselves air tickets to the Gold Coast for January 11.

NIKOLIC IN QUEENSLAND LICENCE BID

Sidelined jockey Danny Nikolic has made application for a riding license in Queensland.

The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission’s licensing department is giving consideration to the application.

Nikolic has not ridden since September 2012 after which he was banned by Racing Victoria Stewards.

He re-applied for a license in 2015 but was denied.

His appeal to VCAT against that ruling was dismissed in 2017.