Really coming into her own last time in with back to back stakes victories highlighted by an almost six length victory in the G2 MRC Sandown Guineas (1600m), Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Sheza Albi returned in emphatic fashion on Saturday, winning the $300,000 G2 MRC Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m).
A race won last yar by Treasurethe Moment, the Zac Spain ridden Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior (Jpn)) started a short-priced favourite as expected and after jumping from the inside barrier, settled back in the field with just three behind her as the Mark Walker trained Chateau Eze (GB) went forward to lead.
Leading at a solid tempo, Chateau Eze took the field into the home straight with Spicy Lu and Salty Pearl commencing their runs down the outside, jockey Zac Spain appeared to be in trouble, stuck behind the leader on the fence with nowhere to go.
With Chateau Eze drifting off the rail under pressure, Spain took the opportunity to dart through aboard Sheza Albi and the race was all over as the filly extended away top win by two and a quarter lengths.
The Ciaron Maher trained Salty Pearl ran her usual honest race, finishing in second, just ahead of the winner’s stablemate Mystery ‘N’ Drama who came home well to record her first black type.
With five wins, three at black type lever and a further three placed efforts from eight starts, Sheza Alibi took her earnings to $693,695.
Interestingly in two of the three times when the filly has been beaten, it has been behind future G1 winners Autumn Boy and Tentyris – not bad form references at all!
Likely to race against Chris Waller’s Autumn Boy in the $1m G1 ATC Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 7, it will surely be an interesting clash of the two quality 3yos.
When the decision was made not to race last Saturday, Moody was always adamant she just needed another week.
“We just thought she needed to come on a little bit,” said Moody. “She needed one more gallop, and I'm happy we did it.
“We did the right thing by her. Unfortunately, it cost us an opportunity to run next Saturday in the Australian Guineas, which was always our aim, but now we might have to head to Sydney to take them on in the Randwick Guineas.”
As for where she may go, Moody does not have anything set in concrete.
“We're open-minded,” said Moody. “There won't be a deep campaign, that's why we were keen to run her down here twice, because she's had a long year last year.
“So, it won't be deep, and we'll be back for the spring.
“You dream of her, could she be a Cox Plate filly? But at worst, well it's a terrible thing to say ‘at worst’ you've got a race like the Golden Eagle. You've got the Empire Rose.
“There's a lot of options, so we just need to make sure we look after her. We've harnessed Fred's enthusiasm. He's a lovely man, but he's happy to let us steer the ship, but more importantly, he's happy for the horse to steer the ship.
“We've got the fillies option at Flemington in two weeks, a mile, or the Randwick Guineas, and if she needs another week, we can maybe look at something in Sydney beyond that. So, no rush. We'll enjoy today.”
During the run, jockey Zac Spain needed an out, and while it eventually happen, he surely was very nervous.
“Please God, open something,” said Spain. “I was just going so well, good horses get you out of trouble.
“I wanted to try and hold the box seat, but I would’ve been out of my comfort zone, so I had to just let her travel in hand and just believe in her, really.”
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 sold for $160,000 at Inglis Classic to John Thompson Racing and Boomer Bloodstock.
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 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.
