Golden Eagle or Cox Plate? Moody confirms Sheza Alibi target

After star mare Sheza Alibi dominated in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, the debate from racing pundits started around whether the four-year-old will head to the Cox Plate or Golden Eagle.

Some argued that the 2040m distance and prestigiousness of the Cox Plate would be perfect for the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained mare, while others argued the lure of the $10 million prize pool from the Golden Eagle (1500m) is too mouth-watering to ignore.

Now, Moody has confirmed on RSN’s Correct Weight that the daughter of Saxon Warrior will be heading to the Golden Eagle, and that she was only nominated for the Cox Plate as a fallback option.

“The Golden Eagle is her race, and we haven't hidden that fact,” the co-trainer revealed.

“Like, she has been nominated and accepted, first acceptance, for the Cox Plate, but that was more an insurance policy.

“Had she come out (in the Makybe Diva) and been quite one paced or screamed out 2000m, we might have had to reassess.

“But I think we saw that good turn of foot, and she did it on firm ground and that was the other little query too - she ticked that box, so conditions don't worry her now.

“She's sharp enough at around that one mile mark that you're probably not going to run and hide from too many, so the Golden Eagle is the sole focus.”

Regarding how many runs she will have leading into that $10 million Group 1 on October 31, Moody reported that she will have three routes available for her to get to the Golden Eagle.

“I only see three ways of going there,” continued Moody.

“(Option A is) she won't go to Sydney again before the Golden Eagle, so unfortunately, the King Charles (1600m), which is the perfect race, I would say is 99% off the table.

“So that brings us back to Caulfield, and you've got two races in three weeks. You've got the Toorak (1600m) or you've got the Might and Power (2000m). Do we give her exposure to 2000m, then go three weeks back to the 1500m of the Golden Eagle?

“If we go and run in the Might and Power and see that 2000m is strong, does that then open the door for us at a Queen Elizabeth (2000m) or an Australian Cup (2000m) in the autumn, or the Cox Plate this time next year?

“Option B is the Toorak (into the Golden Eagle).

“And Option C, which is probably the smart play, is we don't run again until the Golden Eagle.

“We maybe have a trial in the middle of it, a bit like we did with the Doncaster.

“So that's the options, but I would think if she runs before the Golden Eagle, it's probably at Caulfield in the Might and Power (or) if she doesn't run, we'll have a trial and go straight to the Golden Eagle.”

As the rivalry between Victoria and Sydney racing grows, expert form analyst Trav Noonan floated the idea to Moody of the Cox Plate also being boosted to a $10 million race, much like the Golden Eagle.

And if that was the case for this year, would Sheza Alibi run in the Cox Plate instead?

The champion trainer explained that the prize money wouldn’t make a difference for her Grand Final target because the Goldean Eagle being a race exclusively for four-year-olds naturally makes that Group 1 more appealing.

“Well, you only get one chance at the golden eagle, you've got to remember that,” explained Moody.

“And you're only running against four-year-olds, there's no boom three-year-olds coming through and there's no old, seasoned, tough weight-for-age horses at five or six.

“You get one throw at the stumps, so the Golden Eagle is the shining light for those four-year-olds.”

Sheza Alibi currently tops the market for the Golden Eagle on October 31 at $1.80 with Sportsbet and appears mighty hard to beat.

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au