It was a case of “copy and paste” for star jockey James Mcdonald as he guided I Am Me to victory in the Group Two The Shorts, replicating the formula used successfully by rival hoop Nash Rawiller aboard the mare first-up.
I Am Me stalked the speed before capturing the Concorde Stakes (1000m) two weeks ago and McDonald was content to adopt similar tactics for Saturday’s 1100m feature.
The result was the same, the Ciaron Maher-trained I Am Me ($2.60 fav) pulling out all stops to deny the late finish of Stefi Magnetica ($9) by a long neck with Mazu ($13) a half-length away third.
“That’s what James said before the race, just copy and paste, and that’s exactly what he did,” Maher’s Sydney foreman Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“To do it first-up, obviously is one thing, but to repeat it two weeks later like that is a good effort.
“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.”
Having claimed the scalp of stablemate and confirmed Everest contender Bella Nipotina on resumption, I Am Me confirmed it was no flash in the pan with Saturday’s Randwick performance.
Gerard-Dubord hopes it is enough to prompt the remaining slot holders to come calling.
“She has beaten (many of) the same ones twice now, 1200 will only suit her,” he said.
“She is full of confidence now and those mares in form, it’s hard to stop them.”
McDonald said I Am Me always had the race in her keeping despite the narrow margin at the end.
“She always felt in control of the race and even a furlong from home, I felt like I was always going to win, even though they were so close,” McDonald said.
“She’s just doing enough, enough, enough.
“She’s won the first two lead-ups to the great race (Everest), so she’s ticking a lot of boxes.”
McDonald rode the last four winners on Saturday’s program, kicking off his quartet with a Tea Rose Stakes victory aboard Autumn Glow before adding the 7 Stakes (1600m) on Fangirl, The Shorts (1100m) on I Am Me and rounding it out on Moravia in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1200m) to cap his afternoon.
