The strapping 4-year-old made her first appearance since April in the Listed Christmas Classic and she made light of 60.5kg with a stroll to victory.
The Godolphin mare suffered a set-back in August and high spring expectations were dashed when she was found to have blood in both nostrils after a trackwork gallop.
However, late is better than never and Alizee has returned to make a bold statement at Randwick about what the future holds for her.
“The A plan was to win about four Group 1s in the spring with her, but that was shot to pieces before she even ran. ” - James Cummings.
“The A plan was to win about four Group 1s in the spring with her, but that was shot to pieces before she even ran. A long time goes into a performance like that,” trainer James Cummings said.
“You have to have patience for it all to come together for such a heavy mare like her and to get her here as a happy horse. The guys will be pretty stoked.
“We can’t get carried away after winning a Christmas Classic, but she did go past them like it was a barrier trial.”
Alizee showed her class last season winning the G1 Flight S. and then added the G1 Queen of the Turf to her record in the autumn.
Time to find her feet
On Saturday, she settled in the last four before picking up ground about 700 metres from home and she pounced half-way down the straight.
Alizee waltzed clear to beat Husson Eagle (Husson {ARG}), who made late ground, and the front-runner Fell Swoop (Not A Single Doubt) who tired and just clung on to third from Le Cordon Bleu (Hinchinbrook).
“That felt as impressive as it looked,” successful rider Hugh Bowman said. “I had to come out a bit earlier, but with the class of this horse she just tacked on to them.
“I let her go through her gears and I expect huge improvement from her.” - Hugh Bowman.
“I held on to her as long as I could. I let her go through her gears and I expect huge improvement from her.
“She carried the big weight and at the 650 I got on to the leading group and had to ride the race as I saw it.
“I had the class of horse to cope with the moves I had to make.”
Pedigree Notes
Alizee is a half-sister to the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner and G1 Coolmore Stud S. runner-up Astern (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) with their dam Essaouira (Exceed And Excel).
All five of her foals to race are winners and also includes Mogador (Lonhro), who was placed up to Group 3 level.
The third dam is the G1 Galaxy H. winner La Baraka (Euclase) and she is a daughter of the former champion 3-year-old and multiple Group 1 winner Triscay (Marscay).
