Racing future still uncertain for injured superstar Alligator Blood

As Alligator Blood continues his recovery from a potentially career-ending injury, his part-owner ponders the question whether the superstar would have beaten Pride Of Jenni in the autumn.

It’s racing’s great unanswered question and the subject of countless pub debates.

Would Alligator Blood have given new racing dominator Pride Of Jenni a proper fright if the “Gator” had not been injured before his autumn campaign?

Racenet on Tuesday visited the seven-time Group 1 winner, recovering from a long-term pastern injury, and we asked part-owner Jeff Simpson the question.

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“I think he would have troubled Pride Of Jenni, I’m sure he would have,” Simpson said.

“Alligator Blood was going as well as he ever had, before he got the injury.

“He would have given those races Pride Of Jenni won a serious shake, I am sure.”

Alligator Blood and Mr Brightside were headline horses before the start of the autumn before Pride Of Jenni stole their thunder and won the All-Star Mile, later producing an incredible frontrunning blitz that will be talked about for decades to score the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

There is a chance Alligator Blood, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, will never race again.

Regardless, Alligator Blood is living a happy life at the picturesque property of Simpson and his wife Robyn, situated north of Brisbane.

Recovering superstar Alligator Blood with his part-owner Jeff Simpson on his property north of Brisbane. Picture: Ben Dorries

Alligator Blood will have more X-rays and scans in the near future and Simpson said it’s too soon to say whether he will ever resume his incredible racing career.

“It’s too early to tell,” he said.

“His original diagnosis was (to be sidelined) for nine to 12 months and it’s only been three months so far.

“We will be doing some more scans and keeping up the treatment to him, we are hopeful it all turns out to be great.”

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Simpson and his family are caring for Alligator Blood 24-7 and the seven-year-old gelding, who has won more than $8 million in prizemoney, is enjoying his surroundings.

“He’s a very smart horse,” Simpson said.

“He picks up what is going on around the place.

“He knows that we are trying to help him, so he goes along with it and he doesn’t give us any trouble.

“He’s fantastic.”

Originally published as Racing future still uncertain for injured superstar Alligator Blood