Alligator Blood sits along side former Tulloch Lodge stars with a dominant victory in Might And Power Stakes
Gai Waterhouse says she is privileged to train a horse like Alligator Blood, who claimed a seventh Group 1 win in the Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield.
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Alligator Blood can safely take his place as one of the greats of Gai Waterhouse’s training career after Saturday’s Group 1 Might And Power.
The seven-year-old’s iron will to win was too much for his opposition as jockey Tim Clark drove Alligator Blood to his seventh Group 1 win.
“He’s so tough, he’s so special,” Waterhouse, who trains Alligator Blood in partnership with Adrian Bott, said.
“He’s an elite racehorse and we’re very privileged to see a horse like him.”
Six of Alligator Blood’s Group 1 wins have been since his transfer to Waterhouse and Bott camp with David Vandyke guiding the gelding to his maiden top level success in the 2020 Australian Guineas.
ALLIGATOR BLOOD SMOKES THEM IN THE MIGHT AND POWER! ðŸŠ@GaiWaterhouse1@clarkyhkpic.twitter.com/LX2oEf5BT4
— 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) October 14, 2023
A charging Deny Knowledge raced fiercely early to ensure the pace was strong throughout, which looked set to test Alligator Blood’s 2000m credentials.
Alligator Blood had not won over 2000m before Saturday’s $1m contest but Clark confidently allowed Alligator Blood to stride into contention from the 600m.
Alligator Blood hit the front on the home turn before emphatically answering any doubts about him running 2000m with a dominant two length win.
“They don’t come along very often and a seven-time Group 1 winner – five at weight-for-age,” Clark said
“He’s a real star and showed that he could run a strong 2000 (metres) today.”
Waterhouse has compared Alligator Blood to former weight-for-age stars Juggler and Grand Armee.
Alligator Blood matched Grand Armee’s Group 1 tally with his latest success while Juggler easily won the Might And Power Stakes in 1996.
Juggler went on to finish a narrow fourth in Saintly’s epic Cox Plate but TAB turned Alligator Blood’s quote to win this year from $15 to $11.
The 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare ($71) ran on well to grab second ahead of the Edward Cummings-trained Duais, who got a long way back in the field.
Waterhouse and Bott also had the well-backed Just Fine in the race but the Metropolitan Handicap winner found weight-for-age racing too tough, disappointing that backed him into $3.10 favouritism by failing to beat a runner home.
Originally published as Alligator Blood sits along side former Tulloch Lodge stars with a dominant victory in Might And Power Stakes
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