Alligator Blood court ruling set to hand power to owners ahead of Cox Plate

Alligator Blood will overtake the legendary Might And Power in racing’s history books if an explosive Supreme Court showdown goes his way ahead of next week’s Cox Plate.

Court decision looming: Alligator Blood and former owner Allan Endresz. Graphic: Darren Gover

It’s the explosive Cox Plate week Supreme Court showdown which could see Alligator Blood overtake the legendary Might And Power in racing’s history books.

Incredibly, modern marvel Alligator Blood boasts the same career record as past champion Might And Power.

Both have 15 wins from 33 starts and seven Group 1 triumphs apiece.

But rampaging Alligator Blood, the second betting pick for next week’s Cox Plate after sensational back-to-back Group 1 wins this spring, could edge ahead of Might And Power in the Queensland Supreme Court (Court of Appeal division).

The race records of Might and Power and Alligator Blood. Graphic: Darren Gover

On Monday, some of Alligator Blood’s current owners and controversial former owner Allan Endresz will be in court with to tangle with Queensland racing authorities over the superstar horse’s disqualification from the Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in 2020.

Alligator Blood was stripped of the race and the $1.165m winners cheque following a positive swab to the banned substance altrenogest, with Greg Hickman-trained Eleven Eleven declared the new winner.

Endresz has already won round one in the court battle, with Alligator Blood’s disqualification voided in a decision handed down by the Supreme Court in December last year — effectively giving back the race to Endresz and fellow owners.

But despite the ruling, the official result for the race with Racing Australia is yet to be changed, nor has prizemoney been paid out to the then-connections of Alligator Blood.

That could all change next Monday if Racing Queensland and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission are unsuccessful in their appeal.

Alligator Blood’s former owner Allan Endresz (right). Picture: Michael Klein.

“This case is so important for many reasons and one is that it will take Al (Alligator Blood) to 16 wins, one more than Might And Power,” Endresz told Racenet.

“I don’t mind people bagging me out. But I was never going to see a disqualification in the history books for something that really made no sense to me in terms of altrenogest.

“The horse didn’t wake up one morning and say ‘I want some altrenogest’.

“The only way I could fight it was to bring natural justice principles into play.

“We won the first round and we will win the second round too. We will cement in this country the principle of rights for owners and look at the way they (authorities) blemish the names of horses.

“For Alligator Blood to emulate one of my heroes, Might And Power, with more wins to come, is beyond belief.”

Alligator Blood is a modern day great. Picture: Getty Images.

The court ruling last December was a tick for the rights of owners, effectively giving them the green light precedent to challenge stewards’ decisions.

Endresz and his legal team had argued there was no procedural fairness and he never had the opportunity to challenge the stewards’ finding or make submissions about the disqualification.

The court found in Endresz’s favour last December, saying he and other owners had not been given any opportunity to be heard by stewards.

It found that owners should have been heard by stewards, in the same fashion as then-trainer David Vandyke had been.

Commercial sports lawyer Tim Fuller, who successfully acted for champion swimmer Shayna Jack during a long fight to clear her name after a baffling positive drug test, is acting for Endresz.

“The legal argument in court next week will be over whether owners should be heard by stewards in cases like this – and we argue they should and that was what the original (court) decision found,” Fuller said.

“The other argument is over whether a trainer can represent owners over issues before stewards.”

Allan Endresz, Robyn and Jeff Simpson celebrate Alligator Blood’s victory at the Magic Millions race day at the Gold Coast Turf Club in 2020. Picture: Steve Holland

Alligator Blood is the $6 second pick for the Cox Plate after destroying his opposition in the Might And Power at Caulfield last Saturday, silencing the doubters who questioned whether he could run a strong 2000m.

Endresz is no longer in the ownership of Alligator Blood due to his status as an undischarged bankrupt.

Last year, billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey purchased a majority share of Alligator Blood, paving the way for the horse, now trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, to continue to race.

Endresz’s uncle Jeff Simpson and Simpson’s wife Robyn have been in the ownership of Alligator Blood from the start and will be party to next Monday’s court battle.

Originally published as Alligator Blood court ruling set to hand power to owners ahead of Cox Plate