Gator off to paddock with no issues

Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) has pulled up from his below-par run in the All-Star Mile without any serious issues and will head to the paddock.

The 3-year-old, a winner of 10 of his 12 starts, started favourite in the $5 million race at Caulfield on Saturday, but faded to finish 10th, beaten 4l by winner Regal Power (Pierro).

Initial reports indicated Alligator Blood may have had an issue, but trainer David Vandyke said everything had come back clear and the gelding was being sent for a well-deserved rest.

"He has recovered in good shape and will now have a deserved break," Vandyke said. "It (Alligator Blood's autumn campaign) was the ride of a lifetime."

Murray to join Ritchie as co-trainer

Trainer Shaune Ritchie has confirmed that Colm Murray will be joining him in a new training partnership from the commencement of the 2020/21 racing season.

Irishman Murray joined Ritchie’s Cambridge operation over two years ago and has been an integral member of the success of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).

“Colm is a natural horseman and he has that way about him that I think only the kiwis and the Irish have with their horses,” Ritchie said.

“He gets to the stable each morning before me and is very keen and is exactly the right type of person that is great for racing and for our stable.

“He has been riding the filly (Jennifer Eccles) all the way through and is a major asset for the operation. "

Ritchie said Murray will be an invaluable partner for him at his Cambridge operation,

“He is very good with the clients and they enjoy his company," he said. “When you are away from home you want someone like Colm at home looking after the team as it gives you real peace of mind.”

Power set for Sydney?

Regal Power's (Pierro) owner and breeder Bob Peters is possibly considering a shot at the Sydney carnival with the All-Star Mile winner.

Regal Power gave his leviathan owner his biggest payday when he led home a quinella for connections, when holding off Superstorm (Sebring) in the $5 million feature at Caulfield.

Peters said he had requested that trainers Grant and Alana Williams enter Regal Power in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. but wasn't sure whether he would press on with the 4-year-old.

"I rang Grant a while back and asked him to put Regal Power in the Queen Elizabeth up at Randwick over their carnival, but he's been up quite a while so it probably won't happen. But we'll think about that," Peters told The Races WA.

Reflecting on the day, Peters was typically demure about his achievements.

"It's probably my best collect, so it's got to be good, doesn't it?" Peters said. "I suppose you'd say it's nice when a plan comes together.

"I stopped both of those horses towards the end of our carnival here, with the express purpose of sending them over for these races."

Moroney plots Cup path with Aktau

Michael Moroney is hoping this week's Listed Mornington Cup can leap his emerging stayer Aktau (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) into the G1 Caulfield Cup.

Aktau, a winner of three of his seven starts, can earn a spot in the $5 million Caulfield Cup with a win this Saturday, which would be a significant weight off Moroney's mind headed into the spring.

"We're hoping that we can win with him to qualify for the Caulfield Cup and then make it easier on him in the spring," Moroney told Racing.com.

"I'm sure he's got the potential and the ability but it's just his first campaign and we're still learning a fair bit about him."

Thoroughbreds Are Go to screen Monday

Thoroughbreds Are Go, hosted by Caroline Searcy, debuts on Sky Thoroughbred Central on Monday.

The program focuses on re-homing of thoroughbreds and how owners go about finding a loving, new home for their horses away from racing.

It will screen at 7:30pm on Monday nights through the autumn racing carnival in Sydney and Melbourne with Series Two airing during the spring racing carnival.

In the opening program, thoroughbred re-trainer Scott Brodie advises racehorse owners on what they should look for if they want their horse re-trained, Blue Gum Farm in Victoria shows off a 20-year old horse now looking after the next generation of racetrack stars, and Arrowfield Stud’s Strapper’s Stories depicts the relationship between horses and those who work with them.

The program is supported by TAB, Arrowfield Stud, Godolphin Lifetime Care, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Australia and Chris Waller Racing.

Millar basking in Tinkalicious success

New Plymouth trainer Janelle Millar is hoping for bigger and better things after celebrating the most significant win of her training career when Tinkalicious (NZ) (Nadeem) won Saturday’s G3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle S. at Trentham.

Millar has held a trainer’s licence for 15 years and had previously won two races at Listed level but Tinkalicious' win is a new career highlight.

“We’ve had a couple of stakes wins and quite a few Group placings along the way, but we’d never won a Group race before Saturday,” Millar said. “It was a great result, and the horse really deserved to win a race like that.

“She’s been really unlucky in a lot of her races. Being a six-year-old now, she’s getting close to the end of her racing career, so we’ve been really chasing these stakes races with her. It’s been a bit frustrating, but it was great that it worked out yesterday.

“There’s a big group of owners involved in this mare, and they are a really good bunch of people,” Millar said. “They have been very loyal to us, so it’s great to train a good horse for them.”