It’s the one race she craves almost more than any other. And Gai Waterhouse insists there’s nothing between the Cox Plate’s four big guns as controversial star Alligator Blood tries to cash in on a reprieve from officials.
Australasia’s weight-for-age championship is the only trophy missing from Waterhouse’s mantelpiece when it comes to the four traditional majors. The trainer hailed Alligator Blood in the mould of Juggler, who finished half-a-length behind Saintly in the 1996 Cox Plate.
Alligator Blood’s chance to win the Cox Plate was only guaranteed when Racing Victoria overturned a ban on him racing in the state owing to the undischarged bankrupt status of his owner, Allan Endresz.
Businessman Gerry Harvey stepped in to take over a majority share in Alligator Blood, prompting the Melbourne embargo to be lifted.
Sources familiar with the situation said Alligator Blood’s owners would be free to re-apply for the horse to be allowed to race in NSW, but would have to prove the bona fides of his ownership.
Racing NSW was the first jurisdiction to ban Alligator Blood from competing on its racetracks.
Alligator Blood during a beach session before Saturday’s Cox Plate.Credit:Getty
It will matter little to Waterhouse and training partner Adrian Bott if the Hall of Famer can break her Cox Plate curse, which came closest to recently being broken when Fiorente was third in the 2013 race. Fiorente won the Melbourne Cup 10 days later.
“It’s a race I would love to win,” said Waterhouse, who is also trying to find a sprinter to conquer The Everest. “Dad [Tommy Smith] won it many, many times and I’d love to win it. To win it with Adrian would be great because we’ve been so successful in the short time we’ve been in partnership.”
But Alligator Blood has almost been friendless in betting since his fading fifth in the Caulfield Stakes behind Anamoe, who was a $2.20 Cox Plate favourite with Sportsbet on Monday.
“I think it’s a lot closer,” Waterhouse said. “I’m not saying [Anamoe] won’t win it, he’s a very talented horse. But luck plays a big part in all races and anything can happen in a Cox Plate.
Gai Waterhouse is trying to win her first Cox Plate.Credit:Getty
“The horse of Annabel Neasham’s [Zaaki] didn’t do himself any favours at Caulfield and they didn’t do us any favours. There was no way we could win because they took us on and it undid his chance of winning the race and set it up for Anamoe. It was the maddest tactics I’ve ever seen in my life.
“If you know someone is going to lead, why don’t you sit on their hammer and pounce when you have to?
“But they’re four very, very good horses [Anamoe, Zaaki, I’m Thunderstruck and Alligator Blood] and there’s not a lot between them. I’m amazed there’s no three-year-old [contenders this year]. It’s such an advantage. I thought they might have run a three-year-old.”
Zaaki was a $5 second pick ahead of I’m Thunderstruck ($8) while Alligator Blood was an $18 chance despite winning the group 1 Underwood Stakes at Sandown.
Waterhouse will skip Tuesday’s barrier draw, which infamously caused a row between her and John Singleton a decade ago when the trainer picked barrier 11 for More Joyous.
The Cox Plate barrier draw is done differently to random allocations with connections allowed to choose a gate once their horse has been drawn out.
