Sheza Alibi Locks in Golden Eagle Tilt After Makybe Diva Demolition – Trifecta News Summary: 

- Peter Moody has confirmed the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) on October 31 is the sole spring focus for Sheza Alibi following her Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes win.

- The Cox Plate nomination was purely an insurance policy, with the four-year-old's sharp turn of foot over the mile sealing the Golden Eagle plan.

- Sheza Alibi is the clear $1.80 favourite with Sportsbet for the Golden Eagle at Rosehill.

Makybe Diva Win Locks in The Golden Eagle Path

The four-year-old mare produced the kind of performance that had punters scrambling for the Cox Plate markets, but Moody was quick to shut down any suggestion of a route change. 

Speaking on RSN's Correct Weight, the Group 1-winning conditioner made it clear the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill has always been the plan.

"The Golden Eagle is her race, and we haven't hidden that fact," Moody said. "She has been nominated and accepted, first acceptance, for the Cox Plate, but that was more an insurance policy."

Had Sheza Alibi looked one-paced or crying out for further ground in the Makybe Diva, connections would have reassessed. Instead, her turn of foot on firm going ticked every box.

Three Roads to Rosehill

Moody outlined three potential paths to the Golden Eagle, ruling out a Sydney trip for the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) as "99% off the table". That leaves Caulfield firmly in play:

- Option A – Toorak Handicap (1600m): The perfect race conditions, keeping her sharp at the mile.

- Option B – Might and Power (2000m): A stamina test that could open doors to autumn targets like the Queen Elizabeth or Australian Cup.

- Option C – Straight to the Golden Eagle: Likely with a trial in between, mirroring the successful Doncaster Mile preparation.

"Option C, which is probably the smart play, is we don't run again until the Golden Eagle," Moody explained.

Why Prizemoney Won't Sway Connections

With Victorian and Sydney racing continuing to jostle for spring supremacy, form analyst Trav Noonan floated the idea of the Cox Plate matching the Golden Eagle's $10 million purse. Moody wasn't budging.

"You only get one chance at the Golden Eagle, you've got to remember that," Moody said. 

"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 Golden Eagle Odds

The Moody-Coleman-trained mare has firmed into $1.80 favouritism (at the time of writing) with Sportsbet for the Golden Eagle on October 31, headlining a race that continues to reshape the Australian spring carnival landscape. 

With her preparation now mapped and conditions no longer a query, punters are lining up early for the Rosehill showpiece.

*Odds are subject to change.