Sheza Alibi will be aimed squarely at the Golden Eagle after her dominant victory in Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
The four-year-old’s performance prompted debate over whether trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman should instead pursue the Cox Plate (2040m), but Moody has confirmed the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 31 remains the priority.
Speaking on RSN’s Correct Weight, Moody revealed Sheza Alibi’s Cox Plate nomination was primarily an insurance policy in case her Makybe Diva Stakes performance suggested she was looking for more ground.
“The Golden Eagle is her race, and we haven’t hidden that fact,” the co-trainer revealed.
“Like, she has been nominated and accepted, first acceptance, for the Cox Plate, but that was more an insurance policy.
“Had she come out (in the Makybe Diva) and been quite one paced or screamed out 2000m, we might have had to reassess.
“But I think we saw that good turn of foot, and she did it on firm ground and that was the other little query too – she ticked that box, so conditions don’t worry her now.
“She’s sharp enough at around that one mile mark that you’re probably not going to run and hide from too many, so the Golden Eagle is the sole focus.”
Moody said there were now three potential paths to the Golden Eagle, although another trip to Sydney for the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) appears highly unlikely.
“I only see three ways of going there,” continued Moody.
“(Option A is) she won’t go to Sydney again before the Golden Eagle, so unfortunately, the King Charles (1600m), which is the perfect race, I would say is 99% off the table.
“So that brings us back to Caulfield, and you’ve got two races in three weeks. You’ve got the Toorak (1600m) or you’ve got the Might and Power (2000m). Do we give her exposure to 2000m, then go three weeks back to the 1500m of the Golden Eagle?
“If we go and run in the Might and Power and see that 2000m is strong, does that then open the door for us at a Queen Elizabeth (2000m) or an Australian Cup (2000m) in the autumn, or the Cox Plate this time next year?
“Option B is the Toorak (into the Golden Eagle).
“And Option C, which is probably the smart play, is we don’t run again until the Golden Eagle.
“We maybe have a trial in the middle of it, a bit like we did with the Doncaster.
“So that’s the options, but I would think if she runs before the Golden Eagle, it’s probably at Caulfield in the Might and Power (or) if she doesn’t run, we’ll have a trial and go straight to the Golden Eagle.”
With the rivalry between Victorian and Sydney racing continuing to intensify, form analyst Trav Noonan raised the prospect of the Cox Plate also being increased to $10 million and asked whether that would change Sheza Alibi’s target.
Moody said even equal prizemoney would not sway connections, pointing to the once-only opportunity four-year-olds have to contest the Golden Eagle against horses of their own age.
“Well, you only get one chance at the golden eagle, you’ve got to remember that,” explained Moody.
“And you’re only running against four-year-olds, there’s no boom three-year-olds coming through and there’s no old, seasoned, tough weight-for-age horses at five or six.
“You get one throw at the stumps, so the Golden Eagle is the shining light for those four-year-olds.”
Sheza Alibi is the clear $1.80 favourite with Sportsbet for the Golden Eagle on October 31.
