Filly flies to milestone win
Sheza Alibi proved an “exceptional horse” to deliver Luke Nolen a memorable 2000th winner in the group 1 Randwick Guineas.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained star became the first filly to win the three-year-old mile race since Mosheen in 2012, powering away late to score by three and a quarter lengths from Autumn Boy.
It was Nolen’s first ride back from a three-week ban for improper riding past the post at Pakenham, when he directed his mount into another runner.
“I took the obscure route,” said the 45-year-old, who guided the Moody-trained legend Black Caviar to 22 of her 25 wins.
“Getting rubbed out for three weeks and having to ride at 54.5 kilograms first day back. I know I’ve done it now, but she’s more than worth it. She’s an exceptional horse.
“Every time you get close to a milestone your form seems to evade you sometimes. Two thousand, a group 1 winner in Sydney feels pretty good.”
Coleman said Sheza Alibi would likely go for a spell and the Cox Plate was “in the back of our minds”.
One in, one to go for Baker
A relieved and excited Bjorn Baker warned not to forget stablemate Warwoven – if he makes the Golden Slipper field – after Paradoxium surged into favouritism with a dominant return from serious illness in the Todman Stakes.
Paradoxium firmed from $11 to $5, just ahead of Warwoven ($6), after he jumped well and controlled the group 2 Slipper qualifier under Jason Collett before holding Stretan Ruler to one and a half lengths on the post. Wolf Gap was third.
The $400,000 Extreme Choice colt had not raced since winning the Wyong Magic Millions in December and missed the Gold Coast grand final because of travel sickness, which became pneumonia.
Jason Collett celebrates aboard Paradoxium.Credit: Getty Images
“He got very, very sick, very fast and for him to get back here and do that is pretty special,” Baker said.
“He’s pretty special and I know you have to look at times and analyse it, and maybe it’s not quite the [best] time, but he is going to improve so much. He’s fast and tough and hopefully we’ll find out how strong he is in a couple of weeks.
“He’s got a great attitude, even pre-race, he’s just an absolute dude, so you know he can conserve that energy.”
Warwoven was fourth in his comeback a week earlier in the Skyline Stakes, and Baker said he may now have to race in the Pago Pago Stakes next Saturday to make the Slipper field.
“He’s going to come on, no doubt about it, and he’s probably even got a touch more improvement from where this guy [Paradoxium] is,” Baker said.
Baker was celebrating again later when Caballus pulled off a front-running upset in the group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
Earlier, the keen eye of McDonald was on the money as Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Chayan blitzed her rivals in the group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) to book a spot in the Slipper.
McDonald put the $250,000 I Am Invincible-Lubiton filly, a $3.10 second elect, into a midfield position with cover before she raced to a three-length win. The Waterhouse-Bott stable filled the placings with Agrarian Girl and Miss Chanel.
The victory in her first Sydney run followed a luckless seventh from a wide gate in the Blue Diamond after a second on debut in the prelude. She was $34 into $9 for the Slipper and Annabel said she hoped to have McDonald aboard again.
“James actually rang me two days after the Blue Diamond and said ‘Where’s Chayan going?’ and I said ‘Where can you ride her?’ So he noted her,” Annabel Archibald said.
McDonald said he would “love her to go to the Percy Sykes instead of the Slipper, but we’ll see how much pull I’ve got”.
“She’s a really good filly and I’m grateful that Annabel and Rob put her in the race for me,” he said.
“They were tossing up whether to run her next week, but I was adamant, ‘I’m available for this race please run her here’, and she justified that.”
Godolphin mare on right course
Waller was pleased he picked an easier path for Godolphin mare Pinito after she scored a half-length win in the group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m) for fillies and mares on Saturday.
McDonald drove the four-year-old, which was an eye-catching fourth first-up in the Millie Fox Stakes, past Starphistocated late. Waller was keen to step Pinito up in distance again, saying she would head next to the Epona Stakes (1900m).
Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said to Waller after the win that they “pulled the right rein”.
“The first-up run was excellent and we even thought about running her in the [group 1] Coolmore [Classic, 1500m], but she’s had a long time off and she was second-up, so we’ll take the easy steps,” Waller said.
Beadman fires on bittersweet day
Randwick trainer Peter Snowden hoped to get Beadman into the group 1 Galaxy in two weeks after he fought late to claim the listed Fireball (1100m) on a bittersweet day for his stable.
First-up and favourite Beadman, with James McDonald aboard, overhauled Hidden Motive inside the last 100m before holding off the fast-finishing Inkaruna. Snowden hoped the three-year-old Snitzel colt’s rating could get him into the Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill in two weeks, but he said the Darby Munro was a fallback option.
Two races later, Snowden had another Galaxy hope, Raging Force, breakdown early in the group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m). Raging Force was backed into favouritism late, but he faltered early and was last before jockey Tommy Berry pulled him up. Stewards reported he was four out of five lame and taken to Randwick Equine Centre with a suspected pelvis injury.
The race was won by Chris Waller-trained, McDonald-ridden Generosity, which beat Marhoona in a bob of the head. Waller said the mare was also headed for the Galaxy.
