I Am Me (+160) has made it back-to-back wins to kick-off her spring campaign, getting the head down to claim victory in The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare got the perfect run in transit, similarly to her first-up success in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) a fortnight ago, sitting one back on the inside running rail before exploding in the final furlong.
It was another tight finish for the daughter of I Am Invincible, with the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) winner Stefi Magnetica (+850) looming large in the shadows of the post under Zac Lloyd, narrowly running out of time as James McDonald pushed out I Am Me to cling on by a half-head on the wire.
The six-year-old must be considered a possible contender for $20 million Everest (1200m) with plenty of slots still available, and the Ciaron Maher team suggested that’s still the goal this preparation.
Stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord was on course to discuss the victory and where to next for I Am Me.
“To do it first up, obviously, is one thing, but to repeat it two weeks later like that is a good effort,” said Gerard-Dubord.
“Especially after a hard run like that, two weeks back up, there’s always a bit of a question mark, but she’s come back better.
“Doing it every second week, it’s never easy. There is a a four-weeks gap to The Everest, which could be ideal. We’ll just have to see how she comes through that first.
“She will tell us, but she’s done a perfect job so far.”
James McDonald was impressed with the victory and suggested The Everest was within the realm of possibilities.
“She’s quality and she just wears a heart on her sleeve,” said McDonald.
“She always felt in control of the race and even from a furlong from home, I felt like I was always going to win, even though they were so close.
“She’s won the first two lead-ups to the great race, so she’s ticking a lot of boxes.
“I think I won on her over six furlongs and she won by the same sort of margin. So she does what she has to do, and she’s a big broodmare who will run a tremendous race in a race like that.”
I Am Me is now an +1700 chance with horse racing bookmakers for The Everest set to be run and won on October 19.
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