Dynamic Syndications 4yo bay mare I AM ME (I AM INVINCIBLE from MEFNOODA) according to our jet pilot Tommy Berry is so good, “it’s scary for competitors - but exciting for us!” after our brilliant sprinter recorded back-to-back Sydney Saturday victories and her fifth (5th) Win from 10 Starts.
I AM ME winning at Rosehill 3/12/22
Trained by the outstanding team members at the Ciaron Maher Racing Stables, the Team have polished our mare into an exciting racing prospect for the Autumn, yet she is still only a lightly raced mare continuing to learn her craft.
Jumping away as the hottest favourite of the day, at an unbelievably short price for a Sydney Saturday Metropolitan Benchmark Handicap of $1.40, punters had pegged her correctly, and our Dynamic mare never let down her Owners, Connections, Supporters and Punters alike with a blistering display of raw speed.
I AM ME = She was going so fast she was flying !
Such was the dominance, Tommy Berry even had time to pose for the camera as our Dynamic Duo crossed the line with an effort not much more taxing than standard trackwork, to demolish a handy Benchmark 88 field in Race 9 at Rosehill, the KIA ORA PRAGUE Handicap over 1100m.
I AM ME was so good - that she beat them with her eyes closed !
She stopped the clock in an eased down 1:03.48 with a last 600m of 33.04 secs to post a widening winning margin of 1.89 lengths over On The Lead with Invincible Kiss in third spot, 2.02 lengths behind I AM ME.
With the rail out 5 metres there was always going to be a tendency to favour leaders on the paint, and tactically our preference was to be forward but with hopefully a bunny to sit off and chase down. However, we also wanted to take bad luck out of the equation. So, Tommy was asked to lead unless something else was desperate and hold up until as long as possible before releasing the brakes.
From the time the gates crashed back until the camera flashed, it was a masterful ride on top of an excitement machine, that had track watchers grasping for superlatives.
We can’t recall a betting market like it. Leading into the race I AM ME firmed from $2.30 at acceptance time to open $1.70 after scratchings at 7:30am and continued to be backed in around Australia to start $1.40 on the TAB and it was $11 or longer the rest of the field.
The TAB remarked that there was eighteen-times more money invested on I AM ME than any other runner in the race and that she had been anchored heavily in the quaddie and multiples.
I AM ME had won like an excitement machine at her most previous start, when resuming from a spell, at Rosehill on the 5th of November in a Benchmark 78 event over 1100m, carrying 58.5kgs.
We had treated that race as a second barrier trial for money. She won that race with ease despite not really being ready for the rigours of that race, only having one very soft barrier trial and a jump out under her belt. We knew we had at least 3 to 4 lengths of general improvement in her from her first start to her second start based on fitness alone and we would be very competitive second up and will be better still deeper into her preparation.
Here at her second run from a spell, we had deliberately decided to give her four weeks between runs to allow her to rebound off that first up assignment. She was beautifully placed into a Benchmark 88 as a Benchmark 80 mare, and then receiving a further 2.0kgs off the males. She was staying at the same track and distance but dropped 4.5kgs in weight (which equals approximately 3 lengths advantage) and mathematically it looked put in take out and only bad luck could be an potential issue.
However, Tommy Berry ensured that bad luck would not be the case.
Coming out of the jockeys room to greet Owners and Connections, Tommy confidently reported that he would prefer to trail a leader but more likely lead here, just the way the track was playing, but then said to the owners, it didn’t matter if she got well back because she would still win - that’s how good she is.
From the time the gates flung back, and the field travelled the first 100m the race was over.
I AM ME jumped away evenly with the pack, and Tommy just allowed her to gather her action for the first 50m before pushing forward to stop Invincible Kiss from out wider on the track crossing over our mare. After the field had run 100m, I AM ME was in front and worked across to find the fence as Invincible Kiss tried to come with her and sit at our girth but it didn’t have the leg speed to match our mare as they passed the 800m marker, because we had just run a 1000m to 800m split in 10.98 secs.
Tommy then got I AM ME to relax underneath him, but she still peeled off slick splits. Her slowest split of the race came from the 800m to the 600m when she ran 11.42 which was also the slowest of her other nine peers for that sectional.
Then Tommy got away with second soft split of 11.37 from the 600m to the 400m.
Rounding the home turn Tommy slipped I AM ME a little rein, and she dashed clear as she ran a 10.68 split from the 400m to the 200m.
I AM ME was certainly low flying as you can see!
Mathematically I AM ME had broken their hearts and Tommy was looking at his style and form in the saddle on the big infield screen as he sat patiently in the saddle with no others threatening.
At the 150m, Tommy gave I AM ME just one piece of encouragement and she bounded further in front to such a dominance that Tommy Berry sat back and enjoyed a lounge chair ride to the winning post, yet our mare still clocked a sensational 10.81 seconds this final furlong.
No wonder the win was both dominant and effortless.
I AM ME returning to the winners stall
JOB DONE!
Ciaron Maher Racing's Sydney Foreman Johann Gerard-Dubord (Joe) was interviewed by Sky Channel’s Gavin Carmody post-race:
Gavin said to Joe: “That was fairly painless watch.”
Johann Gerard-Dubord (Joe) runs the Warwick Farm Stables
Joe responded : “Once she jumped cleanly she was able to get to the front fairly easily and then, just control it. Yeah it was a very easy watch in the end.”
Gavin Carmody then said: “They came off the bit behind her and Tommy hadn’t moved a muscle.”
Joe added: “She has plenty of speed, and can travel strongly and can sustain that, but she has a turn of foot too. So, once she was able to quicken, she put them away easily.”
“She is a beautiful looking horse very strong. She keeps maturing and every time she comes back in, she keeps getting stronger.”
“It’s great to get a win and for Dynamic. Adam and Dean Watt do a very good job and they’re big supporters of us, so it’s nice to have a good winner for them.”
DYNAMIC DUO ~ TOMMY BERRY Returns a Winner on I AM ME
Then Sky Channel’s Corey Brown spoke to Tommy Berry and began by asking a simple question: “How Good Is She ?”
Tommy said: “Yeah I don’t know! She’s very smart and I’ve got a feeling there’s a lot more there, I gave her just a couple of taps and she put a few on them straight away. She’s got a massive set of lungs on her – It’s scary for competitors but exciting for us.”
Corey asked: “People are going to say that the track has become a little bit leader bias, they made you work a little bit, did you expect to land in front?”
Tommy answered: “Oh I had a very open mind. I was hoping not too, because I do think she’s better with a little bit to chase, but she’s matured a lot now, last preparation if you had her in front she probably wanted to run away with you but it just shows you how much she has matured and the Team have done a great job.
“She still gets a bit hot in the yard, but she gives you a great ride, and the sky’s the limit with her and the way she is then hopefully she’s very good.”
I AM ME was the shortest price winner of the day and to be fair, nothing won any easier. Mission accomplished.
This was her Fifth Race Win from 10 Starts. Tommy Berry has ridden her for her three NSW Wins whilst John Allen and Jamie Kah have ridden her to success in Victoria.
Four (4) of her Five (5) Wins she has started in Tomato Sauce prices whilst her previous win she started at $2.15. She has a combined winning margin of 13.07 Lengths.
I AM ME has a Career Record of 10 Starts: 5 Wins, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth and earned $290,850.
Our beautiful mare I AM ME
She has won at Rosehill twice, Flemington, Ballarat and Canberra. She won her Maiden at 1000m and 4 wins at 1100m and ran fourth in the Listed Denise’s Joy.
Connections have no doubt that 1400m will not be an issue for our mare later in the preparation, but we have just been picking off the low hanging fruit to date.
As a side note, it's interesting to acknowledge I AM ME's own Dam MEFNOODA (byMedaglia d'Oro) won 5 races including 2 city wins from 10 starts at distances of 1200m to 1440m and earned $120,450.
Whilst I AM ME to date has won 5 races from 10 starts and earned $290,850 so far. She has won 3 city races and earned minor black-type when 4th in a Listed Race.
We will be aiming a little higher with I AM ME now as we look to add some valuable black-type into her programme in the coming starts.
I AM ME was a $210,000 purchase by Dynamic Syndications / Dean Watt Bloodstock at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
I AM ME as a yearling at the sales after we purchased her for $210,000
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She was offered under the Segenhoe Stud banner (as agent) for vendor Sheikh M B K Al Maktoum, and we are extremely honoured that for the first recorded time, he joined with a syndication company to own and race the mare with us.
Wonderful to see a few of our loyal owners trackside enjoying the spoils of victory with their horse
Congratulations to our Terrific Team of Loyal Dynamic Syndications Owners that race I AM ME: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Sheikh M B K Al Maktoum, Mrs J M Crooks, B & K Ramsey Family, Mr P J Woollett, Mr G Rassos, Mr R J Gall, Mr R G Dawkins, Mr A W Robertson, Mr A Cranes, Mr A Mitchell, Mrs M Joyce, Mr M G Joyce, Mr S B Troughton, Mr D P Lacey, Mr MJ Millner, Mr S Finnigan, Mr A D Vella
I Am Me - Winner 3.12.22 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
A big thank you goes to the whole team at Ciaron Maher Racing.
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace do a fantastic job with all our Dynamic Syndications horses, and the team members they have assisting them in all aspects of the stable duties are first class. It’s a well-oiled machine and all staff are extremely user friendly with their one goal to train winners and that suits the Dynamic Syndications model perfectly.
This win by I AM ME was Dynamic Syndications 25th Race Win for this current Season which is now 3 months old, and includes Nine (9) Metropolitan Wins amongst these 25 wins, and this win by I AM ME was our 795th Race Win Overall.
Onwards and Upwards!