MY CALL: INVINCIBILITY! SO HARD TO ACHIEVE BUT ROTHFIRE & ALLIGATOR BLOOD TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE

By David Fowler | Tuesday, March 3, 2020

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

When a racehorse achieves an air of invincibility it’s a rare occurrence.

Of course, that statement is bleedingly obvious.

Yet it’s at what point they cross the line that elevates them into that rarefied atmosphere that is an interesting talking point.

It’s timely as well because Queensland has two more than reasonable candidates for this discussion.

Alligator Blood and Rothfire.

These are two horses that continue to gain an increasing band of followers, race by race, win by win.

Particularly, Alligator Blood. Observe the mammoth vote achieved in the All-Star Mile lead-up.

But, obviously, the key tenet of invincibility is winning. It’s inherent in the meaning of the word.

There are umpteen examples of horses winning two, three, even four races in a row and then the number thins dramatically.

Let’s examine Alligator Blood for the purpose of this discussion. The general consensus was that he was promising but not outstanding in his early brace of victories.

An interstate campaign always heightens expectations and after a Caulfield Guineas Prelude win, he was beaten a nose in the Caulfield Guineas.

The march to invincibility suddenly crashed. A nose defeat but a defeat nonetheless. Invincibility is the hardest of taskmasters.

Yet his unbeaten summer campaign has clearly ignited the invincibility argument again.

He was dominant in Queensland and now in Melbourne.

And here’s where we cut to the chase. The line mentioned earlier is crossed when we “expect” them to win. Defeat is a notion not entertained.

Is Alligator Blood at that level?

No. We acknowledge he will be hard to beat in the All-Star Mile but very few would say victory is assured.

If he happens to win on Saturday week he will make a quantum leap to being considered invincible yet his next campaign (Everest and Golden Eagle ) will be another rung higher on the ladder.

Rothfire is in a slightly different category.

Currently he is considered invincible, primarily because he is unbeaten which is likely to extend when he contests The Jewel at the Gold Coast on Saturday week.

But, if marking hard, it can be claimed Rothfire is enjoying the “big fish in a little pond” syndrome.

The odds are shortening that he will run in the Golden Slipper, a week after The Jewel.

This would be a huge test for potential invincibility where the scenario morphs into a “little fish in a big pond” situation.

In my lifetime, Winx and Black Caviar are the only two who were considered invincible.

Yet its an enormously tough gig to achieve.

Consider for yourself when they crossed the line into invincible territory. In other words, losing wasn’t an option.

I’m certain there would be a variety of opinions.

Alligator Blood and Rothfire are a long distance away from the invincibility of Winx and Black Caviar.

Yet they are a long way in front of tens of thousands of others.

Their march towards the goal of invincibility will be determined this month.

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