MY CALL: QUEENSLAND'S HEADLINE, HEAVY HITTERS UNDER A CLOSE WATCH AS REPUTATIONS GO ON THE LINE

By David Fowler | Tuesday, September 8, 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.

This Saturday shapes as a pivotal moment for Queensland’s reputation in the national racing landscape.

The term “much awaited” is far from an exaggeration as the state’s headline horses Rothfire and Alligator Blood begin their spring campaigns and more than likely within a half an hour of each other.

Rothfire starts in The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens while Alligator Blood lines up in an open Quality (1110m) at Doomben.

Rothfire and Alligator Blood are currently in a battle with each other for Queensland Horse Of The Year honours.

But let’s not forget the other QHOTY hopeful Tyzone, this year’s Stradbroke winner, who also makes his spring resumption in the Theo Marks Quality at Rosehill Gardens.
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Back to Rothfire and Alligator Blood.

Their reputations precede them with Rothfire delivering a brilliant juvenile season culminating in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins romp and only suffering defeat once.

Alligator Blood took his trade to Victoria and also tasted Group 1 success in the Australian Guineas. His Magic Millions Guineas disqualification placed some tarnish on his CV.

There hasn’t been as much expectation of local horses since Buffering continually blazed a trail at the highest sprinting level in the first half of last decade.
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To compare their respective weekend assignments, there is clearly more at stake for Rothfire.

He goes straight into the deep-end first-up clashing head-on with Golden Slipper winner Farnan let alone a batch of the highest-rated early season three-year-olds in the country.

All the evidence says he can potentially win but a defeat is not the end of the world.

But a poor performance could see mi-Runners revoke their Everest slot they secured late last week.

Yet it’s hard to imagine a “poor performance“ after witnessing his outstanding track gallop at Eagle Farm last Saturday week.

If all goes well Rothfire progresses to the Golden Rose (September 26 ) and then The Everest (October 17). The Coolmore at Flemington a fortnight later is not totally out of the question.
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There is not as much hanging on Alligator Blood’s performance but a below par run would be cause for concern.

Yet, like Rothfire, all the evidence suggests otherwise.

But a first-up win is far from guaranteed.

While he is unbeaten first-up on three occasions, Saturday is a totally different ball game.

Alligator Blood will oppose a fair-sized field of hard-headed short course sprinters. It will be no pushover whatever development he has made during his latest break.

But the level of his performance will be closely monitored by the remaining Everest slot holders. A below par run would almost rule out any aspiration to run in the world’s richest turf race.

His locked in plan is the Golden Eagle (October 31) preceded by the Silver Eagle (October 10).

Plenty is riding on what happens this Saturday.

Queenslanders will be watching closely.

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