A fresh Alizee opened her five-year-old campaign with a win in Saturday's Group II Missile Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill although supporters that backed her into odds-on favouritism were made to sweat in the closing stages.
On her toes in the parade ring, the daughter of Sepoy was taken back to last of the five runners by Hugh Bowman, but the powerfully built mare had pulled her way to the front by the time they turned for home.
Under a kind ride in the closing stages, Alizee held off the fast-finishing Invincible Gem (I Am Invincible), who won the race in 2017, by a short-neck with stablemate Le Romain (Hard Spun) four and a half lengths back in third. (images Steve Hart ).
With her eighth stakes win the triple Group 1 winner advances her record to 8 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 20 starts with earnings of $2,270,200.
"She's an outstanding horse that we are lucky to have in the barn and it's wonderful to see her get up and win a Group II WFA race first-up," winning trainer James Cummings said.
"She seemed to do it the hard way, he took off very early on her and if there was a way to get beat it would be an impatient jockey. So it was good to se her hold on and there was a margin back to third, which suggest she would have rated well even though the second horse came at her strongly late.
"I was
nervous for the horse because I think this is a good as I have had a horse
prepared for a good race ever, and you just worry about what might go wrong."
A homebred for Godolphin, the 5yo daughter of Sepoy is a half-sister to the Group 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes hero and young Darley stallion Astern (Medaglia D'Oro) and the stakes-placed Mogador (Lonhro) as well as to one of last season's most exciting two-year-olds, the one-time Golden Slipper favourite Tassort (Brazen Beau) who finished second to Time To Reign in the Group II Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill.
Their dam Essaouira showed ability in a career restricted to just two starts. She won on debut at Moonee Valley before finishing unplaced in a Listed race at Caulfield.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel is the first foal of the Group II Magic Night Stakes winner Alizes who was sent to America by Darley Stud before being repatriated in 2015.
By the speed influence Rory's Jester, Alizes is a daughter of the Group 1 Galaxy Stakes heroine La Baraka (Euclase) herself out of the 5-time Group 1 winner Triscay.
Essaouira has a 2yo filly named Tangier and a yearling colt, both by Medaglia d'Oro (USA) and was one of 114 mares to visit Sepoy last year alongside her dam Alizes.
