Hot favourite Sheza Alibi has drawn barrier six for Saturday's $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick, with Chris Waller's Autumn Boy right alongside her.
The final field of 18 is locked in for Saturday's $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Royal Randwick, and the hot favourite Sheza Alibi has come up with a handy draw.
Sheza Alibi happy in six
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman's mare drew barrier six at Tuesday night's draw. Luke Nolen rides, and as a mare she carries 55.5kg, two kilos less than most of the colts and geldings at 57.5kg. Connections had hoped for a gate somewhere between six and twelve, so they got what they wanted.
Moody has had the Golden Eagle marked down as her grand final since she won the Makybe Diva Stakes in September. He chose this race over the Cox Plate because it is restricted to four-year-olds, so she doesn't have to take on the best older horses. She was beaten at her latest start in the Might And Power Stakes over 2000m, but she drops back to a trip that suits her and she is odds-on in early betting.
Waller brings four
Chris Waller has four runners. The one drawn right next to the favourite is Autumn Boy (barrier 5), whom Zac Purton rides, and he has finished in the first two with Sheza Alibi plenty of times. Beiwacht (barrier 10, Nash Rawiller) is the stable's other main hope, while Mr Miller and Estremo complete the team.
Shannon Stakes winner Skyhook has drifted after drawing 16, and Silver Eagle winner Apocalyptic has the widest gate of all in 18.
The field and barriers
- 1. Barrengarry (Alysha Collett)
- 2. Platinum Pantheon (Andrew Adkins)
- 3. Within The Law (Rachel King)
- 4. Regal Award (Lachlan Neindorf)
- 5. Autumn Boy (Zac Purton)
- 6. Sheza Alibi (Luke Nolen)
- 7. Attica (Regan Bayliss)
- 8. Brave Monarch (Martin Harley)
- 9. Mr Miller (Zac Lloyd)
- 10. Beiwacht (Nash Rawiller)
- 11. Federalist (Tyler Schiller)
- 12. Rivellino (Dylan Gibbons)
- 13. Night Agent (Tom Sherry)
- 14. Decorum (Tim Clark)
- 15. Amazing Journey (Saffron Osborne)
- 16. Skyhook (Chad Schofield)
- 17. Estremo (Sam Clipperton)
- 18. Apocalyptic (Tommy Berry)
The punting angle
A short-priced favourite in a big field always deserves a second look. Sheza Alibi has the class, the draw and the weight, but she has to bounce back from a defeat and there are 17 others chasing a huge prize. If you are against her, the horses that have run close to her before, such as Autumn Boy, make more sense than ones that have never been in her league. Check the track rating on Saturday morning before you settle on anything.