Overly focused on finding ideal descriptors for Sheza Alibi’s rout in the Randwick Guineas, pilot Luke Nolen got a reminder that the filly supplied him with an extraordinary career benchmark.
Nolen’s 2000th professional win came in that Group 1 – despite him not tallying it mentally.
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Nolen said.
“Every time you get close to a milestone, your form seems to evade you.
“Two thousand wins, a Group One winner in Sydney, it feels pretty good.”
Perfectly timed, Nolen shared the celebration with coach Peter Moody, whose partnership yielded racing’s top honors with phenomenal sprinter Black Caviar.
True, Sheza Alibi must travel a considerable distance to rival that legacy, but as a filly she’s brimming with promise and surmounted a crucial exam by besting colts and geldings in the Saturday Randwick Guineas (1600m), the first filly to do so against males since Mosheen’s 2012 feat.
“She is just something special, this filly,” said Katherine Coleman, who trains her in partnership with Moody.
“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.”
Nolen kept steady early on as horses vied for running room, then when Sheza Alibi ($2.10 fav) found stride over the rise, her sharp acceleration made the win inevitable.
She surged to a decisive 3-1/4 lengths success over Autumn Boy ($3.60), with Attica ($11) third a couple more lengths away.
Even with such a polished display, Coleman expects no immediate follow-up, choosing a thorough break for the three-year-old to gear up for the next season.
“The plan always was to have a pretty light autumn because she had such a deep spring preparation,” she said.
“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.”
Regarding a future Cox Plate tilt, Coleman expressed openness.
“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.
The Moody-Nolen alliance holds 35 Group 1s and 909 total wins, leading all active Australian trainer-jockey teams.
Per Nolen, the figures reflect their profound connection and steadfastness, bolstered lately by Coleman’s training role.
“We’ve stuck it out a long time, Peter and myself,” Nolen said.
“It goes a long way to show the people we are – resilient, forgiving and loyal – three words I would never mind being described for me ever, and the two of us have got it in spades.
“Katherine is a late addition, but she’s a welcome one. She hasn’t given me a spray yet, but I’m sure it’s coming.”
Autumn Boy earned “gallant” from James McDonald, who lauded his effort in defeat, while Adam Hyeronimus on Attica opined the Spring Champion Stakes champ seeks longer.
“Once he gets to the 300 (metres), he starts to get going so he just needs distance,” Hyeronimus said.
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