Trainer Daniel Bowman has his sights set on Group 1 glory with Is It Me, and the road begins this Saturday in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Facing race-fit and unbeaten mare Cicala first-up, Bowman believes this run will set the six-year-old up perfectly for bigger goals later this spring.
“After his second start I said to my good mate Mitch Freedman that this horse will win a group one,” Bowman recalled. “I used a few strong words in saying it but he has always showed that he had it, but he had to mature and work it out.”
Is It Me’s raw talent was evident early, but Bowman said it wasn’t until the last campaign that the horse began to understand how to race more professionally, thanks in part to regular jockey Billy Egan.
“His racing craft was terrible, and he was doing everything on raw ability early,” Bowman said. “It probably wasn’t until the last prep we figured it out and it really helped getting Billy Egan on.”
Bowman has found that giving the gelding longer recovery periods between runs—three to four weeks—has unlocked his best form.
“He throws too much into his races and he needs more time to recover plus he started racing more tractably on all surfaces,” he said. “Now he is showing the sorts of ratings I thought he had in him.”
Is It Me put together a trio of wins last preparation, highlighted by his peak performance in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m), where he posted a Racing and Sports rating of 116.
With Billy Egan sidelined, Dean Yendall takes the reins this weekend. Bowman sees that as a long-term advantage.
“With the Rupert Clarke, he’s likely to get a weight a bit lighter – and too light for Billy – so we saw Saturday as an opportunity with Dean being a natural lightweight that he could have a feel of the horse,” he explained.
The path from Saturday’s Behemoth will continue through the Memsie Stakes and on to the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20.
“I found that when I had Begood Toya Mother that if you can finish within three or four lengths of them in the Memsie then it is a really good guide and form line going into the Rupert Clarke and be a live chance,” Bowman said.
Is It Me is currently rated a $4.40 chance for the Behemoth Stakes and $26 in early markets for the Rupert Clarke.
If you’re backing Is It Me this spring, compare the best betting options at Australia’s top bookmakers here.
