Gai Waterhouse | Gai Waterhouse News 56506 Playing By The Rules

Alligator Blood, Saturday 23rd September, Caulfield, Race 9:

It will come as no surprise at this time of year that 90% of our runners need to take that ‘next step’, and I think many are capable of doing just that, but it was a three horse race for who is most closely ‘playing by the rules’. Only just getting nosed out was Zelta who’s dropping back to a fillies and mares maiden having been beaten less than a length in Stakes grade, albeit in Adelaide. The other going down by the bob of the head was Ambassadorial who should relish the step up in trip, unlike a number of his competitors, and he’s dropping back in grade from a win in a $150,000 Saturday race where I expected others to have a sharper turn of foot. I couldn’t go past the mighty Alligator though. He doesn’t know how to run a bad race and won this particular one last year, although due to a slight reshuffle of the calendar he is forced to back up within seven days for the first time this weekend. He’s probably the toughest horse I’ve come across, so I don’t foresee that as being a problem and if the handicapper has got things right, Alligator Blood is extremely well weighted here.