I AM ME Owners Reject INVITATION to RNSW $2m Mares Race for Tilt at Gr1 MANIKATO

20 Oct 23

Owners and Connections of I AM ME (5yo Mare I AM INVINCIBLE x MEFNOODA) received an invite for our mare to run in the Racing NSW $2m THE INVITATION - a race for Fillies and Mares over 1400m on Saturday 28 October at Rosehill.

The Invitation I AM ME received to run in THE INVITATION

However, the offer was rejected in favour of having a genuine crack at the $2m MANIKATO Stakes Gr1 1200m at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day (the same day).

The Gr1 MANIKATO has always been our mare’s target since she went for a spell at the end of last preparation and then her programme was determined for this preparation.

From the number of days she would spell, to number of days in pre-training before returning to the stable for training.

Trained by CIARON MAHER Racing (Ciaron Maher & David Eustace), she was always targeted to resume first-up in the Gr2 Missile Stakes on the 5th August which she won.

Gr2 Missile Stakes Win with Tim Clark in the saddle

We loved the way that race looked on paper, because we considered she was thrown in at the weights when under those race conditions, she was only needing to carry 54.0kgs.

Then we would head towards the Gr2 Sheraco 1200m on 9th September. She wasn’t as well suited under the Set Weights and Penalties conditions of that race, and then things didn’t go to plan in the run when finishing 6th but she was only 2 lengths behind the winner and just 0.29 of a length behind the placegetters when still short of peak fitness.

Then with her natural fitness improvement, she would be ready for the $2m Gr3 Sydney Stakes which she won impressively on the 24th October.

An excited James McDonald celebrates I AM ME Sydney Stakes Win

This was a lovely race for a Gr2 winner coming back to Gr3 company under weight-for-age conditions and she arrived on the day rock-hard ready for that assignment where $2m was up for grabs and thanks to James McDonald who followed instructions beautifully, she took home the lion’s share of $1,155,000.

Presentation

Now at the peak of her powers, I AM ME has bounced out of that dominant win, and she is ready to run in the Gr1 Manikato over 1200m at Weight-For-Age, where the pattern of the race around the tight turning Moonee Valley track at least on paper seems to suit a natural on speed running individual. With her ability to constantly run sub 33.0 secs off the front for her final 600m, it will provide for spellbinding interest for a race hosting the best of the best sprinters.

We targeted the Gr1 Manikato as her Grand Final which would add the final missing piece to her resume, a Gr1 black-type result. Whilst we have always believed she will achieve a Gr1 Black-Type result, opportunities are very limited so they must be grabbed when available.

I AM ME is already the winner of 9 races from 16 starts including a Gr2, Gr3 and a LR Win in Track Record Time and LR Placing with $1,796,850 in prizemoney.

A Gr1 Win or a Gr1 Placing will complete a full set of Black-Type and her broodmare value upon retirement will be enormous.

However, standing in her way is the absolutely brilliant racemare IMPERATRIZ. Also, a daughter of super sire I Am Invincible, the multiple Gr1 winner and Moonee Valley track record holder has proven to be a class above everything she has raced to date in Victoria. However, we are confident the Sydney form shall offer more resistance.

The early betting market says it all, with IMPERATRIZ at $1.50 favourite and I AM ME is the $6.00 Second Favourite.

First and foremost - Racing is a Sport - and like all horseraces, you must be in it to win it.

You can’t win by sidestepping; you have to compete, and whatever the outcome, our connections are looking forward to the challenge of testing our mare against the best of the best and especially Imperatriz.

Whilst consideration was given towards staying in Sydney for THE INVITATION on the same day based on the equal prizemoney on offer, especially as we truly believe I AM ME will be better at 1400m than she already is at 1200m, it was the weight conditions of that race did not suit our mare.

She was being forced to carry 59.0kgs which is the same weight that Gr1 winners were being asked to carry, yet our mare is not a Gr1 winner. Then compared to Weight-For-Age where she only carries 56.5kgs and is a last start winner at Weight-For-Age, then why carry an extra 2.5kgs?

Also, THE INVITATION does not carry any Black-Type which doesn’t add any residual value to her pedigree page upon retirement.

We were going up in trip by 200m and going up in weight 2.5kgs and to take on Gr1 winners at level weights.

Weight is very important to mares and 59.0kgs is a lot to carry against the high-quality mares that will carry the 57.0kg limit and 3yo Fillies that will carry 52.0kgs. As a rule of thumb, 1.5kgs in weight is the equivalent to a 1 length handicap.

Ultimately it was easy to reject our invite to stay in Sydney in favour of running in the Manikato.

Ciaron Maher & James McDonald

Hoofnote: I AM ME has already arrived safe and sound into Melbourne in the early hours of Thursday morning ahead of her assignment and will be seen having a look around the Valley next Tuesday morning at Breakfast With The Best before her Gr1 goal where she will be again ridden by Australia's best rider JAMES McDONALD.