Queensland’s pin-up three-year-old Alligator Blood defied a series of pre-race distractions and potential setbacks to dominate Saturday’s A$2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m).
The race was pushed back by stewards after the truck carrying the son of All Too Hard was held up due to a major accident on the freeway between trainer David Vandyke’s Sunshine Coast stables and the Gold Coast.
The race was further delayed at the start due to a late scratching but once the gates opened, Alligator Blood produced a performance that punters have become well accustomed to.
The three-year-old settled in the first half of the field under jockey Ryan Maloney and loomed ominously at the top of the straight before sprinting away for a two length win over Eleven Eleven and last year’s 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates.
Purchased by the Ezybonds No 1 Syndicate for A$55,000 out of the Baramul Stud draft at the 2018 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Alligator Blood has now won eight of his nine career starts and netted more than A$2.1 million.
Vanydke admitted a sense of overwhelming relief after the race.
“He’s just a competitor, he just wanted to run,” Vandyke said.
“He was a bit unsettled after that hold up on the freeway, he didn’t look 100% but he was ready to get out there and compete. I’ve been really anxious, I’ve been getting up before the alarm at 1am so I’m glad it’s all over.”
For Maloney, who moved from Victoria to Queensland two years ago, the Guineas was the biggest win of his career.
“I had a fair bit of expectation on my shoulders but I just couldn’t be happier for connections,” Maloney said.
“His record speaks for itself so everyone expects him to win.”
“To be able to deliver on the big day, it’s the biggest thrill I’ve had.”
“Albeit he looked to be a class above them today, he was stuck on the float for two hours on one spot on the freeway so I was definitely a little bit concerned.”
The lion’s share of the A$250,000 Magic Millions Racing Women’s Bonus, which was offered on the Guineas for the first time in 2020, was collected by connections of Dubious, who finished 10th.
