Trainers of rivals to Alligator Blood feel for the gelding’s connections after the multiple Group 1 winner has been forced out of the autumn through injury.
Alligator Blood suffered a serious leg injury, and may not race again, news that saddened two young rival trainers.
The Lindsay Park operation of Ben, Will and J D Hayes had been looking forward to again locking horns with Alligator Blood with their multiple Group 1 winner Mr Brightside.
“It’s unfortunate and I feel for the connections there,” J D Hayes said.
“He’s such a lovely horse and it would have been good to see them clash, but it’s very unfortunate.
“Hopefully he is able to rehab well, and we’ll get to see him again.”
Alligator Blood was being readied for a first-up shot at the CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 10, a race the Tony and Calvin McEvoy -trained Veight is headed to after his first-up win in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Mr Brightside is slated to resume in the C F Orr Stakes.
“That was unfortunate to read about Alligator Blood,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“It’s never great to hear about great horses and their injuries.”
McEvoy said Veight had pulled-up in super order following his Moonee Valley win and will take a great deal of improvement out of the run.
“He’ll do a bit of work later in the week and then he’ll have a nice gallop either Monday or Tuesday next week and he’ll head to the race in great shape,” McEvoy said.
“He will have taken a lot of benefit from the race and what we do with now until the race won’t change him too much.”
While Veight raced in a butterfly bit and a one-eyed blinker on Saturday, McEvoy said he felt Veight would have raced truly without the gear on Saturday.
He said Veight was now starting to mature as a racehorse.
“Damian Lane has confidence in his own relationship in the horse and he never really wanted the headgear and was happy to ride and trust himself,” McEvoy said.
“But when you’re getting to this level you can’t have any mistakes.
“So, I thought when the pressure came on early and he had to get into him 50 to 100 metres than what was ideal, he had every right to lay-in a little, but he didn’t.”
