EXCLUSIVE: Alligator Blood to be transferred to new trainer for racing comeback

Group 1 superstar Alligator Blood is being set for a stunning racing comeback … but it won’t be with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.

Group 1 superstar Alligator Blood will be set for a stunning racing comeback amidst a stable switch to Chris Waller.

It was feared the seven-time Group 1-winning headline horse may have run his last race when he suffered a serious pastern injury almost a year ago.

But it is understood recent scans have shown the injury has recovered and there is no scarring or lingering issues.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have been told the star eight-year-old gelding is being transferred to Waller.

Now he is an older horse and coming back from a significant injury, owners are keen for Alligator Blood to have a change of scenery and try Waller’s training methods.

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During his rehabilitation process, Alligator Blood was for a period under the dedicated care of Vision Equine in Queensland and time spent on the water walker promoted his recovery.

In more recent times, Alligator Blood has been at Limitless Lodge in NSW.

Tim Boland, from Limitless Lodge, has a strong relationship with Waller and has pre-trained many of his star gallopers.

Alligator Blood, who races in Gerry Harvey’s famous blue and white colours but is also owned by Queenslanders Jeff and Robyn Simpson, was last seen racing in the 2023 spring carnival.

THE GATOR! 🐊🩸

Alligator Blood takes out a star-studded G1 Underwood Stakes @GaiWaterhouse1pic.twitter.com/ZJCExHr14t

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 25, 2022

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He won the 2023 Group 1 Underwood Stakes and Might And Power Stakes and finished third in Romantic Warrior’s Cox Plate.

Jeff Simpson, who cared for Alligator Blood at his own property north of Brisbane for several months in the early stages of his injury, said the ownership group was excited about the cult horse’s return to racing.

Details of a comeback racing campaign are yet to be determined.

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

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“Robyn and I and Gerry are over the moon about Alligator Blood coming through his injury the way he has,” Simpson said.

“After he was injured, the horse was pretty down in the early days.

“But it has been a remarkable recovery.

“You wouldn’t think that he has even had an injury.”

Originally published as EXCLUSIVE: Alligator Blood to be transferred to new trainer for racing comeback