Integrity guru Ray Murrihy and Robert Cram called in to latest Alligator Blood saga

The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has enlisted the help of two of Australia’s most experienced stewards in an attempt to close the longest running integrity saga in racing.

Ray Murrihy will chair the latest inquiry into Alligator Blood’s 2020 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas victory.

The most respected figure in Australian racing integrity will oversee the latest chapter into the long running Alligator Blood saga, after Queensland officials opened a third inquiry into the matter.

It can be revealed former New South Wales chief steward Ray Murrihy has been called up by the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission to chair the new inquiry into his failed swab from the 2020 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, which was won by Alligator Blood.

Sitting alongside Murrihy will be former Victorian chief stipe Robert Cram and longtime QRIC steward Kym Daly as officials work to put the matter to bed.

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The matter will not be heard until next year however, with QRIC opting to wait for the outcome of a February 28 court date, where Alligator Blood’s former owner Allan Endresz is seeking an injunction to stop the new inquiry.

Endresz, who has been banned from owning horses in many states in Australia, labelled the latest inquiry a farce, saying he offered Queensland officials a settlement, despite being confident of victory.

The Alligator Blood saga has been going almost five years. Picture: Trackside Photography.

“It is a complete and utter waste of everybody’s time and taxpayer money,” Endresz said.

“I am gobsmacked that they have the audacity to have a crack at my background when they put these blokes in to run these inquiries.

“It is beyond belief, I am very confident we will win on the 28th and it will be game over.”

The former QRIC regime, lead by former commissioner Shane Gillard, convened a second inquiry following a Supreme Court victory from Endresz over an owners right to be heard earlier this year, however it was over before it began.

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Under the new leadership of Catherine Clark and former Hong Kong chief steward Kim Kelly, QRIC last week opened a new inquiry with Murrihy and Cram.

“What we wanted was a panel that is removed from previous panels that have dealt with matters involving the horse,” Kelly said.

“We arrived on the view that some interstate participation would aid in having the matter resolved in a timely manner.”

Endresz and his legal team will argue the panel is unable to prove the validity of the horse’s urine sample from the race after what was left of the “A” sample was revealed to be unreliable because of a power outage where the samples are kept after it was initially analysed and had a test report issued.

Originally published as Integrity guru Ray Murrihy and Robert Cram called in to latest Alligator Blood saga