Alligator Has Blue Blood

Vinery Stud's All Too Hard has made a great start to the new season reeling off 18 winners since August 1, but the icing on the cake would be a new stakes-winner and Queensland visitor Alligator Blood will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact this Saturday at Rosehill in the Group III ATC Ming Dynasty Quality.

The David Vandyke trained gelding comes to Sydney with three wins from three starts and has been rewarded for his consistency with top weight of 59kg, which won't make his task easy given he's facing two Kiwi stakes-winners in Quick Thinker and Rhaegar as well as a host of well bred up and comers.

On the score of breeding, Alligator Blood loses nothing as his pedigree brings together some of the best stallions we've seen in Australia with his first three dams by Encosta de Lago, Red Ransom (USA) and Last Tycoon (IRE).

Bred by Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud, Alligator Blood was a modest $55,000 Magic Millions purchase which belies the depth of his female pedigree as his unraced dam Lake Superior is a grand-daughter of Champion South African Filly Tracy's Element, best known for producing Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy.

This prized Black Type family has been delivering widespread stakes success over a long period and it's hard not to think Alligator Blood won't be doing his part to add to the family reputation this season.

Alligator Blood has a 4 x 4 double cross of Last Tycoon and is line bred to close relations Flying Spur and Encosta de Lago, who both trace to Grand Luxe, and while all of this might ultimately mean nothing, early results for this three year-old so far would indicate he has more to offer.