THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ALLIGATOR BLOOD - PART 4

By Jeff Simpson with Graham Potter | Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Jeff Simpson is one of the owners of Alligator Blood. He spoke to HRO for the first time on September 15 after the All Too Hard gelding had secured his fourth win in a row at the Sunshine Coast and he has continued to give HRO readers regular behind the scenes insight into what it is like being one of the owners of racing’s rising star. This is Part 4 of an owner's back-story of Alligator Blood’s progress so far … as experienced by Jeff Simpson.

As you can imagine, given what had happened in the hours leading up to the race, we were very concerned about Alligator Blood before he ran … that’s for sure.

You know, four-and-a-half hours stuck in a truck in the heat … stopping and starting because of that accident on the highway … was a real worry, and this was trying to get to a race we had planned ever since the Caulfield Guineas.

Some other horses due to run at the meeting were also caught up in the traffic but, with the stewards putting the race times back, they were all ultimately able to get to the track and have their chance to run.

It was obviously very unlucky and unfortunate for Champagne Cuddles and her connections that she got galloped in an earlier race. I feel for them … but I think that situation was also a factor in the stewards amending the race times because they needed the horse ambulance to deal with Champagne Cuddles and they did not want to continue until that ambulance was back in position … so the delay wasn’t only for us.

When it was time for the race David (Vandyke) came up to us in the mounting yard before the event and said he thought the trip has knocked Alligator Blood.

He said Alligator Blood was a bit tucked up and dehydrated and he told us not to be disappointed if he didn’t do anything.

I told David that was fine as long as Ryan (Maloney) knew not to knock him around and David said he had already taken care of that. As we all now know, the waiting game wasn’t over yet though … even when the horses got to the start.

There were two further, fairly lengthy delays and Ryan did everything he could to relax Alligator Blood behind the barriers and make sure that he didn’t expend any further unnecessary energy.

Ryan was very good in those moments … but then again that just shows how much of a team effort it is and how good the team is.

The race finally got under way and, I must admit, I wasn’t confident all of the way. When I saw Alligator Blood back behind horses along the rail, for a moment, I did start to think that maybe David was right with his pre-race warning as far as the dehydration goes and its effect on performance … but, yet again, Alligator Blood proved everybody wrong.

It’s not just his ability. He wants to win. He wants to do it all himself. I think in some ways the journey is just beginning. We’ve long since canned any consideration of any offers to purchase Alligator Blood. We’ve been getting them along the way. We’ll get more … but whoever rings up and wants to him at whatever price we just say no!

We are also in total agreement with David about taking time to confirm where Alligator Blood will go next.

The horse always comes first with David … as it does with us. Our horses are our babies and their well-being comes first and that will always be the overriding consideration in whatever we do Alligator Blood moving forward.

He is a super horse and we couldn’t be happier that we have got him.

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