Alligator Blood will take his place in Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate after passing a second veterinary inspection on Friday.
Racing Victoria stewards had given the horse an extra 24 hours to prove his fitness for the race after a mandatory vets inspection on Thursday found the Underwood Stakes winner to be lame in the near foreleg.
Alligator Blood has been cleared to start in Saturday’s Cox Plate.Credit:Getty
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott had disputed claims the horse was lame, informing stewards the horse had not been treated for lameness and had missed no work in the lead-up to Saturday’s major.
Alligator Blood was due to work at Tuesday’s Breakfast with the Best at Moonee Valley, but the team instead kept him at Flemington for his grand final piece of work.
The six-year-old gelding is also listed to have synthetic hoof filler on for the first time in Saturday’s Cox Plate, but former owner Allan Endresz said that was simply to deal with the horse’s lost shoe in his Might And Power Stakes effort.
Alligator Blood’s confirmation as a starter in Saturday’s edition alleviates any concerns of a slowly run race. He is expected to challenge for the lead from the outside gate, to deny Zaaki – from barrier one – a soft time on pace.
Import El Bodegon was also cleared by stewards on Friday morning to race in Saturday’s 2040-metre contest, which Godolphin star Anamoe will start as favourite to win.
Four-year-old Anamoe was beaten in a photo finish last year, and connections were unsuccessful in their bid to overturn the result on protest.
But trainer James Cummings believes the horse is going better 12 months on.
“I think it’s a better chance for him this year, he’s more mature,” Cummings said on Friday morning.
“He looked like the race got away from him on the turn at Caulfield, but he managed to pick himself up and show that turn-of-foot that sets him apart from the rest.
“That makes him the horse to beat, he’s had a flawless preparation.”
By the running of the race at 5.10pm, the conditions of the track at Moonee Valley are set to add an important piece to the Cox Plate puzzle.
Rain was anticipated through Friday night’s Manikato Stakes meeting and into Saturday morning, with as much as 20mm forecast on race day.
A track just shy of heavy will not faze the race favourite, however, with his 6.5 length win in the Rosehill Guineas underlining his ability in wet ground.
Beyond Saturday, Anamoe is anticipated to compete in the 2000-metre Champions Stakes at Flemington on the final day of Cup week, in what could be his last start in Victoria. Godolphin has then set plans to race him twice in Sydney next autumn before sending him overseas, with targets in Dubai and then at Royal Ascot.
Cummings said a win in Saturday’s Cox Plate would rubber stamp his stallion prospects.
“This is such a serious race and a really important race for him,” he said.
“His value is already underlined, and he is going to be an extremely valuable horse for us at Darley, but if he can win the Cox Plate it takes that to the next level.
“He’s a superstar that everybody can identify with, but win, lose or draw he’s still a star.”
