All-Star Mile 2020: Owners having last laugh with Alligator Blood
Sunshine Coast couple Jeff and Robyn Simpson have a much slower gelding to thank for their involvement in Queensland racing’s newest superstar Alligator Blood.
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Sunshine Coast couple Jeff and Robyn Simpson have a much slower gelding to thank for their involvement in Queensland racing’s newest superstar Alligator Blood.
The Simpsons race Alligator Blood with their nephew Allan Endresz and are eyeing off their biggest payday as the three-year-old attempts to win Saturday’s $5 million All-Star Mile at Caulfield.
Now retired, Jeff had hobby involvement in harness racing for many years, while Robyn has a harness and equestrian background.
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When they ventured into thoroughbred ownership a few years ago, never could they have dreamt of what they are experiencing with Alligator Blood.
Under the care of trainer David Vandyke and for the most part ridden by Ryan Maloney, the son of All Too Hard has won $2.8 million in winning 10 of his 11 starts.
But if not for taking a shine to another horse, he would have been running for completely different owners.
“Alligator Blood and a More Than Ready horse were both passed in around the same time out of Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud draft,” Jeff said. “We weren’t that interested in ‘Al’ because the All Too Hards were struggling in the early years.
“But when we went over to Gerry’s to look at the More Than Ready, Al was in the box next door. I had a good look at his breeding and his grandam was Kylikwong.
“I remembered her well and it was the family of Typhoon Tracy, who I was a huge fan of.
“We asked Gerry the reserve and it was only $55,000. Al (Endresz) being Al tried to do a deal with Gerry to get him for 50. Anyone who’s ever done a deal with Gerry knows he doesn’t change his mind. I just said go and pay for him, because I like this horse.
“So we paid $55,000 for Al and $75,000 for the More Than Ready.
“We also bought a Redoute’s Choice at that sale as well. He was probably the slowest Redoute’s Choice in Australia and the More Than Ready wasn’t much faster, but without that horse, we wouldn’t have bought Al.”
The More Than Ready yearling was (ironically) named Strong And Fast, but to date has beaten just one runner home in two racetrack starts. Conversely, Alligator Blood has only had one horse beat him home in his career.
“Who would have thought when we bought him he was ever going to do what he’s done. It’s been amazing,” Simpson said. “What we paid for him, I thought if he won a Class 6 or two at Eagle Farm or Doomben I would be happy with that.
“Some of the offers we had for him ... have just been silly.
“If we had paid $1 million for him we would have sold, but when you’ve got 55 grand at risk and the opportunity of a horse like him, you’ve got to go forward.
“We sat down and thought Queensland hasn’t had a good horse for a long while. Let’s keep him here. He’s going to represent Queensland for a long time we hope.”
QTIS Sale to Boom in an MM boost
Magic Millions is gearing up for another bumper QTIS Sale next week, with a catalogue spearheaded by young gun sires Spirit Of Boom and Better Than Ready.
Year after year this sale throws up bargain buys which go on to earn many times their purchase price through the QTIS bonus system.
MM managing director Barry Bowditch said there had never been a better time to own a QTIS-registered horse.
“It’s quite extraordinary the amount of money QTIS horses race for these days,” Bowditch said. “You’ve got the week in, week out bonuses and then increasingly new bigger prizemoney targets for QTIS horses, like this Saturday’s Jewel Race Day (which potentially has a total of $1.6 million available), the $1 million Magic Millions QTIS race in January, and now some new bonus races extending into North and Central Queensland.”
The Magic Millions Guineas series will comprise four feature races at Rockhampton (Capricorn Guineas), Mackay (Whitsunday Guineas), Townsville and Cairns (Daintree Guineas), with almost $250,000 available.
Racing Queensland chief executive Brendan Parnell said QTIS payouts reached a record $6.5 million through the first half of this financial year.
“That’s up $1.4 million on the previous year,” Parnell said.
The Magic Millions March sale went through the roof two years ago when a fleet of southern buyers flew in to buy Spirit Of Boom progeny, and the average climbed from $28,500 to more than $46,000.
Last year the market returned to normality, with a $33,716 average and Magic Millions anticipates a similar mark this year.
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