Sheza Alibi has firmly established herself as one of Australia’s premier racehorses with a commanding performance in the Makybe Diva Stakes held at Flemington.
The mare, trained by the formidable partnership of Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, etched her name in the record books as the first female galloper to win the Makybe Diva since the prestigious event attained Group 1 status back in 2013.
Sent to the post as the commanding $1.60 favourite, with Luke Nolen expertly guiding her, Sheza Alibi delivered a dominant display, pulling away to win by a decisive 2-¾ lengths. Autumn Boy ($20) claimed the runner-up position, while Another Wil ($101) finished a further neck back in third place.
The race dynamics unfolded perfectly for Sheza Alibi. Her swift departure from the barriers on Saturday allowed Nolen to position the mare advantageously, traveling just off the leaders.
Coleman highlighted that Sheza Alibi can occasionally be slow to react at the start, a trait that was evident when she was outstanding in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick in April, and also in her first-up run when she drew an inside barrier and finished second to Autumn Glow in the Winx Stakes at Randwick.
“She began better today, she put herself there, travelled sweetly,” Coleman remarked. “It was a beautiful ride by from Luke and he had her in that position where she was going to be able to get mobile when he needed to.”
“She loves defying history, this girl, and I think she’s going to continue to do it as her career progresses. She looked like she did that quite easily today, when you look at the horses that she was up against. She is very, very special and it means so much to our stable.”
Coleman further stated that Sheza Alibi has shown considerable physical improvement compared to the mare that secured two Group 1 victories in the previous season.
“She’s probably come back more of a finished product this time around. She’s always been a lovely horse to look at, but she has developed, is bigger and stronger and hopefully we continue to see that.”
With the esteemed Cox Plate at Flemington on the horizon this year, Coleman was queried on whether that major race was being considered for Sheza Alibi.
However, with the substantial $10 million prize pool on offer in The Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick a week later, Coleman indicated that this contest remains a highly appealing prospect.
“I would say we’re still geared towards the Golden Eagle but never make decisions on race day,” she commented.
Nolen, who famously partnered the legendary Black Caviar for the majority of her 25 undefeated victories and has been associated with numerous Moody-trained Group 1 champions, confessed that he is uncertain of Sheza Alibi’s ultimate potential.
“We don’t know her ceiling yet, so that’s the exciting part of it. Outwardly she doesn’t stand out, even as a trackworker she doesn’t stand out, but she’s all racehorse.”
The Makybe Diva Stakes is a highlight of the Australian racing calendar, and you can find the latest betting sites for all the action.