A $10,000 Inglis Digital bargain buy that started her racing career with wins at Rockhampton and Townsville, three year-old filly Sheza Alibi came to the attention of racegoers at Flemington on Derby Day and put the seal on her meteoric rise with a scintillating win in the $400,000 Group II Sandown Guineas at Caulfield don Saturday.
A last start winner of the Group III VRC The Vanity (1400m), Sheza Alibi took another giant step forward at Caulfield.
Previously trained in Queensland by Kris Hansen, Sheza Alibi was transferred into the stable of Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman after finishing second to subsequent Caulfield Guineas winner Autumn Boy in a Listed race at Eagle Farm in June.
It’s been onwards and upwards since then and with Luke Nolen again in the saddle, the daughter of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) turned the Sandown Guineas into a procession when opening up to win by nearly six lengths.
Sheza Alibi has the overall record of four wins and three placings from seven starts with prizemoney in excess of $500,000.
Luke Nolen has become a fan of Sheza Alibi riding her at her past two wins.
"She was strong to the mile and we don't have a ceiling on her yet so that is exciting. I like her a lot. I've only had two goes on a race day, but they have been two pretty peak wins, so if she goes on and builds on it she'll be a nice filly in the autumn,” he said.
"I don't know what Pete has in mind but I'll be cutting legs and arms off to maintain the ride. That's the selfish jockey coming out of me but I like her a lot and I'd like to stick with her as long as I can.”
Peter Moody confirmed G1 races will be on the radar in the autumn.
“We didn't quite know what to expect, but when you saw Autumn Boy come out win the Caulfield Guineas as impressively as he did and this filly, we thought she'd come on. Kris Hansen, her previous trainer, had done a good job and we thought she'd come on,” he said.
"We thought if we could frank that form then we could go well wherever we went. She was very good behind Tentyris and from slightly unlucky runs at Flemington, she came here today and did a good job.
"I don't think we'll have too much trouble finding a nice race for her. She'll be back at Flemington in the autumn in something like the Australian Guineas because outside of her old adversary like Autumn Boy you're probably not going to hide from the rest.
"We'll probably had to go down the fillies path or we might keep her down here and aim towards that."
Sheza Alibi was offered as a weanling by Middlebrook Valley Lodge in the 2023 Inglis Digital June (early) sale where she was bought by her owner Fred Noffkey for $10,000.
She is the only winner from three foals to race from Sheza Gypsy, a winning half-sister by shaft to stakes-winner Rom Baro from stakes-placed Gypsy Mai.
Sold through Inglis Digital in July this year for just $1250, Sheza Gypsy has a two year-old colt by King’s Legacy that sold for $160,000 at Inglis Classic this year to John Thompson Racing / Boomer Bloodstock.
Sheza Alibi is one of 19 stakes-winners for Deep Impact’s G1 winning son Saxon Warrior, who shuttled to Coolmore Australia for four seasons, but has not returned since 2022 and is priced at a fee of 10,000 euros at Coolmore Ireland for 2026.
