A feature race in Adelaide on Saturday has landed as the most ideal first step for trainer Daniel Bowman to fulfill his firm belief that Is It Me can eventually be a winner at the highest level.
The Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville sees the six-year-old first-up this preparation taking on an unbeaten four-year-old race fit mare Cicala.
The Warrnambool-based conditioner has his sights on the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20 to back up his claim that Is It Me is a group one performer.
Lining up for his 22nd career star here, Bowman admits that he might have gone too soon initially but now the dream is looking better than that.
“After his second start I said to my good mate Mitch Freedman that this horse will win a group one,” Bowman said.
“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.
“His racing craft was terrible, and he was doing everything on raw ability early. It probably wasn’t until the last prep we figured it out and it really helped getting Billy Egan on.”
Three or four week gaps between runs has brought the best out of his charge.
“He throws too much into his races and he needs more time to recover plus he started racing more tractably on all surfaces,” he added.
“Now he is showing the sorts of ratings I thought he had in him.”
Is It Me strung together three wins in succession last preparation highlighted by his victory in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) where the gelding achieved his peak Racing and Sports rating of 116.
With Billy Egan to the sidelines through injury, the engagement of Dean Yendall for the Behemoth ride could prove a positive in the long run.
“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,” Bowman said.
“All being well after Saturday then he’ll go three weeks into the Memsie Stakes and then three weeks into the Rupert Clarke.
“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.”
Is It Me is at $4.40 for the Behemoth Stakes and is a $26 chance for the Rupert Clarke.
