EXCLUSIVE: Stewards’ secret plan to rehear Alligator Blood case behind closed doors with infamous stipe involved

Stewards are attempting to rehear the long running Alligator Blood saga in a closed session after a string of high-profile losses in court, with the steward at the centre of the infamous Beaudesert upheld protest earlier this year to be involved.

Alligator Blood is part of one of the longest running sagas in Australian racing. Picture: AAP Image—Jono Searle.

Stewards will sensationally attempt to rehear the Alligator Blood matter in a closed session, which will be overseen by a panel involving the stipe at the centre of the infamous Beaudesert protest which drew widespread dismay earlier this year.

Racenet can reveal the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) is pushing on with the case despite a number of high-profile losses in court, since Alligator Blood returned a positive swab following his 2020 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas victory.

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Secret documents reveal QRIC stewards have commenced an inquiry into the sample, and set up a three-person panel involving Ross Neal as the chair along with Brett Wright and Shane Larkins.

None of the three stewards have had prior involvement in the Alligator Blood matter.

Wright’s decision to uphold a protest at Beaudesert earlier this year forced QRIC to call in the respected former Victorian chief steward to conduct a review into the processes followed that day.

It comes as QRIC, along with Racing Queensland, lost their appeal against the Queensland Supreme Court decision which found Alligator Blood’s disqualification from the 2020 Magic Millions should be voided as his owners at the time, headed by Allan Endresz, were not afforded procedural fairness in the initial hearing which stripped him of the race.

Allan Endresz (middle) is a former owner of Alligator Blood. Picture: Photo — Steve Holland.

Incredibly, stewards will rely on an affidavit from Dr Shawn Stanley, general manager of the Racing Science Centre, confirming that Alligator Blood produced a positive swab for the banned substance altrenogest.

What is left out of the 183-page affidavit is the fact that Alligator Blood’s “A” sample from the day is unreliable because of laboratory flooding caused from a power blackout when a petrol generator ran out of fuel in 2022.

The loss of power at the time affected all the electronic devices in the building, including the cold room which contained Alligator Blood’s A-sample.

READ | EXCLUSIVE: Stunning Supreme Court win in Alligator Blood saga

Previous court documents revealed that Alligator Blood’s sample could not be reliably re-analysed now for a hearing as a result of thawing and subsequent refreezing.

Connections will not be allowed to attend the new inquiry, with stewards intending to conduct the hearing “on the papers”.

It means parties, including Endresz, will be invited to submit written submissions to the panel.

Dr Stanley’s affidavit includes a laboratory documentary package from Racing Analytical Services, which was ordered just days after QRIC lost their appeal in May, and includes authentic copies of the original analytical data that support the finding of altrenogest in the “B” sample which they independently tested.

There is no mention of the “A” sample however.

Originally published as EXCLUSIVE: Stewards’ secret plan to rehear Alligator Blood case behind closed doors with infamous stipe involved