Alizee set to go back to back in Legacy

Godolphin’s three-time G1 winner Alizee will reach a turning point in her career at Randwick on Saturday whether-or-not she wins the G1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes.

Alizee’s three elite-level wins have been at 1,400m or 1,600m with Saturday’s attempt to be made at the latter trip.

But trainer James Cummings says her future, beginning next spring, will be in shorter races with the $13 million The Everest a next major target.

“This is it for her current campaign and she’ll be in the paddock on Monday. She’ll come back as 600 kilos of muscle targeting the 1,200m weight-for-age races in the spring.”

Alizee’s last ran in the G1 Doncaster on Saturday, 6 April, finishing 17th of 20, a result Cummings said can be excused. 

“The tempo was against her and it was run on heavy ground which she isn’t as effective.”

“She was too well on Tuesday morning not to accept.”

Alizee earned a rating high among Australia’s best with her win in open company at 1,400m in the G1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield in February and comes back to her own gender.

Among her opposition are the capable mares Dixie Blossoms, Daysee Doom, Amphitrite and Nakeeta Jane.

But under the weight-for-age conditions, Alizee has the advantage, as well as a racing surface expected to be more suitable than the heavy track in the Doncaster.

A selection of Godolphin mares run in the G2 Sapphire Stakes on the same Randwick card, with Cummings hopeful they might all get into the frame.

The trio is headed, on paper, by Manicure, who is looking to add to the Black-type she earned when winning in Listed company in Brisbane last summer.

Cummings believes a drop back in distance could be the key to her success. 

“She’s had great form all the way through, but the 1,200m here is much more to her liking,” he said.

“The blinkers stay on from the Coolmore Classic.”

The group also includes Savatiano and Resin with the former also expected to appreciate the 1,200m.

“This is the first time in a long while that she’s found herself in a 1200m race,” Cummings said.

“She romped in at this track and distance this time last year and achieved a valuable Black-type win that had to be seen to be believed.

Resin should be ready to run the best race of her preparation after placings at her past two.