Is 49kg a worry for Melham in the Doncaster?

Sheza Alibi has established herself as one of the best fillies in Australia, thanks to her fabulous record of six wins from nine starts, including the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m).

On Saturday, she will face the toughest field of her career yet in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) – a race which she is the $2 favourite with Sportsbet for.

In the prestigious handicap, the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained daughter of Saxon Warrior has been handed the bottom-weight of 49kg, alongside Chris Waller’s Sixties.

The bay will be ridden by Jamie Melham, but some pundits have been questioning whether Melham will be able to ride at her best, given the hoop’s body will be drained from the weight cut.

Speaking on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up, Moody explained that he is confident the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup-winning jockey should be primed for the run.

“She's had a month to ready herself for it. She's a professional,” the co-trainer stated.

“The people have probably somewhat doubted her on the big stage in Sydney to a degree – she hasn't had the success there, which is quite obvious because she's based in Melbourne – but it's an opportunity for Jamie to showcase her talents.

“It's a big ask for the riders to get down to those weights, but she accepted the challenge.”

It will also be Melham’s first time racing aboard Sheza Alibi on Saturday. When the co-trainer was asked if he has provided the gun jockey with any instructions on how to ride the filly, Moody exclaimed that she doesn't need any help.

“No, she doesn't need my help,” Moody said.

“She's a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup-winning jockey and won a lot of big races.

“We'll have a chat on the day… Going there, you'd think at an even tempo, 13-horse field, she's going to be midfield-ish or thereabouts.

“This filly’s shown, she's got the speed where she can sit outside the leader if they walk or if they run along, just go back and sit back and have one swoosh at them.”

Sheza Alibi’s last run was a blistering 3.3 length victory against Autumn Boy in the Randwick Guineas, running the mile in a time of 1.33.44 whilst carrying 54.5kg on her back.

Regarding how the daughter of the Saxon Warrior itself will run with 49kg in the Doncaster, the co-trainer stated that the filly definitely shouldn’t run a slower time than her last start.

“It's hard to suggest they're going to go any faster, but you wouldn't think she's going to go any slower, would you?" Moody confidently said.

“So if you think that Guineas run is good enough to win this, and then we saw Autumn Boy frank in the Rosehill Guineas, it's not a bad form line, is it?”

See the rest of Moody’s chat on Giddy Up surrounding Sheza Alibi below: