Alligator Blood on Track for Cox Plate

Queensland trainer Billy Healey is thrilled with the progress of Gr1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard-Lake Superior, by Encosta de Lago), reports racing.com. The 4YO has been doing slow work with Healey before he'll be transferred to the Waterhouse/Bott stable where he'll be among the nominations for the Gr1 WS Cox Plate. "He really has thrived, the horse looks incredible, he's come up better than you probably could have ever hoped," Healey said. "He's had a couple of gallops at home on the polytrack before (Sunday's) jumpout. He's such a relaxed horse this time around, he's so quiet, probably (as) an older horse now, he's a bit more mature." Healey conceded, "I know early on, he had a few tendencies to be a bit of a handful and things, but he's been an absolute dream to deal with this time around since he's come up here into our care, he's just matured, I think. Obviously, the back surgery that he had, it definitely seems to have worked, he's free as a bird in his action." Alligator Blood has won nine of his fifteen starts, including the Gr1 Australian Guineas, and $1.8 million in earnings. He was a $55,000 graduate from Baramul Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.