The resilience of the All Too Hard breed rests easy on the shoulders of Alligator Blood and Wellington.
Emerging from All Too Hard’s third crop at Vinery Stud, the 7yo geldings are back in business and the best could still be ahead this season. That’s some prediction considering their combined stats stand at 9 Group 1 wins for earnings of AUD$19million.
Alligator Blood is prepping for what would be a career-high victory in the $5million MVRC Cox Plate (Gr.1, 2040m) next month. “He’s just thriving and worked stylishly this morning,” co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said at Flemington on Tuesday. “He’s very big and takes a decent stride. He’s great.”
A warhorse if ever there was one, he finished fourth first-up in the MRC Memsie Stakes (Gr.1, 1400m) at Caulfield and this Saturday’s VRC Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) at Flemington is an important lead-up to Australia’s weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley on October 28. He will race on the pace for new partner Damien Oliver and is an opening $3.90 second-favourite behind Lindsay Park star Mr Brightside (NZ).
“He’s an amazing horse going into combat every few weeks,” Gai continued. “He’s bigger all round and more robust. He’s going to take a stack of beating from now on in whatever race he contests.”
Alligator Blood was bred and sold by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud as a yearling and he bought back a majority share in partnership with Jeff and Robyn Simpson this time last year. His dam Lake Superior (Encosta De Lago) is a close relation of 2010 Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom) who was also conceived at Vinery.
In Hong Kong, second-season trainer Jamie Richards has Wellington ready to join the greats as a two-time winner of the AUD$5million Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Gr.1, 1200m) at Sha Tin in December.
Wellington will make a seasonal return in the HKJC Jockey Club Sprint (Gr.1, 1,200m) in November for Richards who inherited the horse from Richard Gibson. He’s back after a luckless Royal Ascot trip for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Gr.1, 1,200m) following a mishap that saw him rear and smash Ryan Moore’s nose in the gates.
“He’s up at Conghua at the moment,” Richards reported. “We’re trying to give him a bit of a change of scenery. The plan with him is probably to be second-up in the Hong Kong Sprint.
“He’s come back in good order, with no scarring on his head or anything. He had to wait a little while and then do quarantine. He’s a little bit older now and coming back from a trip to the UK but he had a nice break when he got home, and everything seems to be ticking along OK at this stage.”
Wellington was bred by Kia-Ora Stud in partnership with Vinery partners David Paradice and Steve McCann. He sold for $70,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions to owners Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong. His dam Mihiri (More Than Ready) won at Randwick for Team Hawkes and her final foal is a 2yo filly by All Too Hard.
Vinery stands All Too Hard for a $38,500 (inc GST) service fee payable on a live foal. For bookings or further information, contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
