As the lone filly in Saturday’s $1m G1 ATC Randwick Guineas (1600m), the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman trained Sheza Alibi secured her first elite level victory, recording her fourth consecutive group win when simply too good in the 3yo feature, winning by a tick over three lengths.
Starting the race favourite off the back of a facile last start win in the G2 Armanasco Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, Luke Nolen eventually settled Sheza Alibi in sixth position on the outside of G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica, while the Tracey Bartley trained 200/1 chance Dusty Bay went forward to lead.
Last start G2 Hobartville Stakes winner Ninja went forward to settle in second position, while second favourite, and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Autumn Boy was travelling well in fourth for James McDonald.
With Ninja hitting the lead as the field rounded for home, G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Attica was starting to make his run towards the inside of the leader, while the first and second favourites were making their runs down the outside.
Sheza Alibi went passed the leaders with utter ease, untouched to win as she liked, pulling clear to win by a little over three lengths, defeating Autumn Boy, with Attica finishing in third.
With Sheza Albi and Autumn Boy having met during the Brisbane winter carnival where the colt got the better of the filly, it was clear on Saturday who had improved the most since their first meeting.
Co-trainer Katherine Coleman was at Randwick, and it was clear that she has a soft spot for Sheza Alibi.
“She is just something special, this filly,” enthused Coleman.
“She put the writing on the wall previously, but this has been her hardest test to date and to put a quality field away like that, wowee, I'm shaking.
“She always put the writing on the wall that she has got that extra quality and I think she is something really special and she deserved her spot here today. And hasn't she done a good job.”
With just two runs so far this campaign, Coleman felt the filly may go out for a break with ambitious plans for the Spring.
“We'll see how she comes through this. The plan always was to have a pretty light autumn because she had such a deep spring preparation. So her and I will be on the road back to Melbourne tomorrow morning. We will see how she comes through it.
“I wouldn't be surprised if we put her away now and save her for the spring."
With lofty goals like the Cox Plate being thrown around, Colema didn't rule it out when asked.
"Possibly. We will let the dust settle today - never make plans on race day, but that idea is in the back of our minds," she said.
With Luke Nolan achieving his 2000th winner aboard the filly, it was a special win all round.
“To have him on board today makes it even more special,” said Coleman. “He's such a massive part of our team and he rode her perfectly. I'm just so thrilled for him."
Having not ridden the filly this time in, Nolen was excited to reunite with her.
“I took the obscure route,” joked Nolen. “Getting rubbed out for three weeks and having to ride at 54.5kgs first day back. I know I've done it now, but she's more than worth it."
“When it was a soft run behind the hardest to beat (Autumn Boy), dragged us everywhere we needed to be and she grew wings at the furlong. She's an exceptional horse.”
Becoming the first filly since Mosheen (Fastnet Rock) to win the race since 2012, Sheza Alibi took her record to six wins and three placed efforts from nine starts with $1,280,695 in earnings.
Sheza Alibi was offered as a weanling by Middlebrook Valley Lodge in the 2023 Inglis Digital June (early) sale where she was purchased by her owner Fred Noffkey for just $10,000.
She is the only winner from three foals to race out of the Shaft mare Sheza Gypsy, a winning half-sister to Listed Canberra Guineas winner Rom Baro from stakes-placed Gypsy Mai.
Sold through Inglis Digital in July last year for just $1250, Sheza Gypsy has a 2yo colt by King’s Legacy named Nomadic that finished down the track in the G2 Todman Stakes earlier on at the Randwick meeting.
The mare was not covered in 2023 and 2024, but last season was covered by Newgate Farm’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis.
Sheza Alibi is the second Group I winner, but first in the Southern Hemisphere for Deep Impact’s G1 winning son Saxon Warrior (Jpn), who shuttled to Coolmore Australia for four seasons, but has not returned since 2022.
