Alligator Blood fends off his rivals in Group 1 Champions Mile
Alligator Blood has taken out the Champions Mile for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, capping off a successful spring campaign for the much-maligned galloper.
Alligator Blood was kept safe in the market as a $5.50 second favourite with online bookmakers, following Private Eye who was heavily backed into a short favourite, who ultimately didn’t fire a shot in this race.
Zaaki was the obvious speed influence in the race and that was exactly how it played out, with “The Blood” taking up the lead and he never looked back, running home to win the Champions Mile by half-a-length over Tuvalu and Mr Brightside.
Champions Mile Replay
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott have now won their third Group 1 as the trainers of Alligator Blood since taking over the training duties back in January of this year.
“We are thrilled. I know Adrian (Bott) will get huge satisfaction out of this.”
Waterhouse spoke post-race about how happy the team will be after Alligator Blood won his third Group 1 under the care of the Waterhouse & Bott combination.
“This horse has gone through a lot, with his back injury he’s come through and he’s racing in superb fashion.
“Today he just showed he’s the best of the best.
“Certainly proven for those horses that have gone through the handicap and come into open class, and he was racing in the best weight-for-age race which was the Cox Plate.”
Tim Clark has now ridden Alligator Blood to all three of his Group 1 wins in 2022, with victorious rides in the Stradbroke Handicap in Queensland and the win in the Underwood Stakes earlier in the spring.
“Obviously he was really well set-up coming back to 1600 (metres) from the 2000 (metres) and he is coming to the end of a really rough campaign.”
Clark explained that his horse has been on a long campaign this spring and it was great to top off the spring with this win.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s so tough for me and I’m very lucky to be aboard a horse like this.
“One thing I’d said when he got out to the 2000 (metres) he was still a little bit too keen, but back to the mile, that tempo, he enjoyed that gallop and he kept responding for me down the straight.”