Alligator Blood a scraping clash of Victorian Spring Carnival after integrity officials rule

EXCLUSIVE: Alligator Blood banned from Victorian Spring Carnival

Flagship horse Alligator Blood was sensationally banned from racing during the Victorian Spring Carnival.

In an explosive development, News Corp can exclusively reveal that the two-time Group 1 winner has been ruled out by Victorian integrity officials.

Victoria followed New South Wales’ lead in banning Alligator Blood from racing, due to owner Allan Endresz’s undischarged bankruptcy status.

“In relation to horses in which you hold a majority interest: the Stewards will not allow any horse in which you hold a majority interest to race in Victoria until: (a) you cancel your bankruptcy; and (b) resolve the ownership determination issue to the reasonable satisfaction of the stewards,” reads a letter from RV Assistant Chief Steward Rob Montgomery to Endresz.

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“For the avoidance of doubt, the prohibition described in this Section 2 includes the following horses: Alligator Blood and American Pioneer.”

Endresz said he could seek an immediate legal injunction on the matter – he will be in touch with his legal team on Friday.

“We could seek an injunction or appeal the decision to try to keep Alligator Blood going,” Endresz said.

“I could also file an application that converts 60% of the property to other owners.

“But then they (the integrity officers) say they might need to do their due diligence on other owners’ finances, that’s nonsense.

“It’s saddening for Alligator Blood fans to have taken this hardline approach, it was a specific rule introduced for me, there’s no doubt about it.

“They (Racing Victoria) cleared Alligator Blood’s Cox Plate nomination and now they did today.”

Alligator Blood winning the Stradbroke Handicap. Photo: Grant Peters – Trackside Photography

Regarding the Alligator Blood ban, Racing Victoria told Endresz “any future ownership applications to alter your racing ownership interest in the named horses will be subject to the review and approval of the Stewards. .”

Horses in which Endresz has a minority stake may be allowed to race in Victoria, at the discretion of the Stewards.

Alligator Blood, formed by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, was to be a huge draw at the Victorian Spring Carnival.

He took a famous and emotional win in the Stradbroke Handicap, giving Waterhouse their first Stradbroke victory and their 150th Group 1 triumph.

Endresz’s terminally ill wife Joy was on the verge of death when Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke and she died the next day, but not before waking up and asking if the horse had won.

Bott said he would work with Victorian authorities to try to understand the decision, but Hong Kong’s wealthy shopping in December loomed as a potential option.

As it stands, Alligator Blood can still run in Queensland, so there’s also the option of the rich Magic Millions day on the Gold Coast in January.

“Where can we run? If it’s Magic Millions, we’ll look at that, or if it’s an international campaign, we’ll look at that,” Bott said.

Earlier Thursday, before News Corp broke the news that Alligator Blood had been banned from the Victorian Spring, Endresz also revealed he had named the star horse for the Japan Cup in November.

News Corp saw a letter from Japanese race officials about this.

“We recognize that Alligator Blood is one of Australia’s great horses,” a Japan Racing Association representative wrote to Endresz.

“The nomination for the Japan Cup will close on October 4. The JRA Selection Committee will be held as soon as possible after closing.

“We wish Alligator Blood continued success at Spring Carnival.”

Allan Endresz with his wife Joy, who died the day after Alligator Blood won the Stradbroke. Photo: Twitter/Facebook

It’s a bold and unorthodox move to consider even as the Japan Cup is over 2400m and Alligator Blood has never extended beyond 1600m.

“They said they set a task for Better Loosen Up when he won the Japan Cup (in 1990) and this horse (Alligator Blood) has already proven the doubters wrong,” Endresz said.

Alligator Blood headed north from NSW to take part in Queensland’s Winter Carnival after Racing Queensland failed to follow NSW’s decision to ban racing at Endresz-owned horses.

With Alligator Blood banned from racing in Victoria, he left the main horse in no man’s land, unable to race in one of Australia’s biggest racing states.

Thursday morning, the TAB fixed odds market had Alligator Blood as a $26 chance in the Cox Plate.

But after its ban was announced, TAB removed Alligator Blood from all of its Spring Carnival betting markets, including the Cox Plate.

Alligator Blood was due to go to trial in Cranbourne next Tuesday.