EXCLUSIVE: Alligator blood banned from Victorian spring carnivals
Alligator Blood has been banned from racing at the Victorian Spring Carnival. Photo: Grant Peters–Street PhotographyThe title horse Alligator Blood has been sensationally banned from racing at the Victorian Spring Carnival.
In a bombshell development, News Corp can exclusively reveal the two-time Group 1 winner has been banned by Victorian integrity officials.
Victoria has followed NSW’s lead in banning Alligator Blood from racing, due to owner Allan Endresz’s outstanding bankruptcy status.
“In relation to horses in which you have a majority interest: the stewards will not allow any horse in which you have a majority interest to race in Victoria until: (a) you discharge your bankruptcy; and (b) resolve the issue of ownership to the reasonable satisfaction of the stewards,” said a letter from RV Deputy Chief Steward Rob Montgomery to Endresz.
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“For the avoidance of doubt, the prohibition described in this Section 2 includes the following horses: Alligator Blood and American Pioneer.”
Endresz said he may seek an immediate legal order on the matter – he will be in touch with his legal team on Friday.
“We may seek an injunction or appeal the decision to continue Alligator Blood,” Endresz said.
“I can also put in an application that converts 60 percent ownership to other owners.
“But then they (integrity officials) say they might need to do due diligence on other owners’ finances, that’s absurd.
“It’s upsetting for Alligator Blood fans to have taken this harsh approach, this was a specific rule introduced for me, no doubt about it.
“They (Racing Victoria) allowed Alligator Blood’s Cox Plate nomination and now they have done so today.”
Alligator Blood wins the Stradbroke Handicap. Photo: Grant Peters–Street Photography
Regarding Alligator Blood’s ban, Racing Victoria told Endresz “any future ownership application to change your interest in the racing ownership of the said horse will be subject to review and approval by the stewards”.
Horses in which Endresz owns a minority interest may be allowed to race in Victoria at the discretion of the stewards.
Alligator Blood, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was set to be a great Victorian spring carnival.
He secured a famous and emotional victory in the Stradbroke Handicap, giving Waterhouse her first Stradbroke victory and her 150th Group 1 triumph.
Endresz’s wife – terminally ill Joy – was at death’s door when Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke and she died the next day, but not before waking up and wondering if the horse had won.
Bott said he would work with Victorian authorities to understand the decision, but the rich races in Hong Kong in December emerged as a possible option.
As it stands, Alligator Blood can still race in Queensland, so there is also the option of the Magic Millions rich day on the Gold Coast in January.
“Where can we compete? If it’s the Magic Millions, we’ll look at it, or if it’s an international campaign, we’ll look at it,” Bott said.
Earlier on Thursday, before News Corp broke the news that Alligator Blood would be banned from the Victorian spring, Endresz also revealed he had nominated the star horse for the Japan Cup in November.
News Corp has seen a letter from Japanese racing officials on the matter.
“We understand that Alligator Blood is one of the great horses in Australia,” Endresz wrote to a representative from the Japan Racing Association.
“The nomination for the Japan Cup will close on October 4. The JRA Selection Committee will be held as soon as possible after closing.
“We wish Alligator Blood continued success at the Spring Carnival.”
Allan Endresz with wife Joy, who died the day after Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke. Photo: Twitter/Facebook
It’s a bold and unorthodox move to consider as the Japan Cup is over 2400m and Alligator Blood has never stretched beyond 1600m.
“They said they were putting a Better Loosen Up task when he won the Japan Cup (in 1990) and this horse (Alligator Blood) has already proved the doubters wrong,” Endresz said.
Alligator Blood headed north from NSW to race at the Queensland Winter Carnival after Racing Queensland did not follow NSW’s decision to ban Endresz-owned horses from racing.
With Alligator Blood banned from racing in Victoria, he has left the leading horse in no man’s land, unable to race in any of Australia’s major racing states.
On Thursday morning, the TAB fixed odds market had Alligator Blood as a $26 chance in the Cox Plate.
But following the news that he had been banned, the TAB removed Alligator Blood from all spring carnival betting markets, including the Cox Plate.
Alligator Blood was scheduled to have a trial at Cranbourne next Tuesday.
