It’s Me push for Everest
Premiere audition for $15m race
ALL roads currently lead to the $2m The Kosciuszko for dynamic mare It’s Me, but there is another race on the same day worth an extra $13m that her trainer hasn’t entirely put a pen through.
It’s Me is the $4.50 favourite for The Kosciuszko, an event restricted to NSW country and ACT-trained horses at Randwick on October 15.
But if the talented but injury-plagued sprinter produces a barnstorming run in Saturday’s Group 2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick, then who knows what the immediate future could hold.
There are slots in the $15m The Everest up for grabs and It’s Me’s Scone-based trainer Brett Cavanough expects there would be some interest from slot-holders if his mare could rocket to the line and win the Premiere.
“She’s going to do her best on Saturday and we will play our cards from there,” he said.
“There has been a little bit
of Everest discussion about her, but nothing directly.
“She has probably got to go and do what she was doing two years ago and run the best sectionals of the day on Saturday (to come to the attention of Everest slot-holders).
“There are still quite a few Everest slots left and some of these other sprinters might go off, I’m not sure.
“It’s Me is obviously a dayby-day proposition after having had a tendon injury, you can walk around with your chest puffed out and then be deflated the next day.
“But she is very, very well at the moment.”
If It’s Me races well in the Premiere, she could be spoiled for choices in rich Sydney spring races.
The Invitation could also come onto her radar.
It’s Me burst on to the scene winning her first four races in 2020 but the now six-year-old mare has had her career abridged by a series of tendon and other problems.
But she has shown in recent times she could be back to something near her best.
She zoomed home for an eye-catching first-up win at Eagle Farm in August before having no luck when finishing fourth in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes at Randwick on September 10.
James McDonald has been booked to ride It’s Me in The Kosciuszko where she would be bidding to become the first horse to win the race twice.