Ciaron Maher and David Eustace methodically ticked off another major race in Sydney when I Am Me surged to victory in the Sydney Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Having expanded their NSW base to include the picturesque Bong Bong property, they watched I Am Me bounce back from a lacklustre last-start effort in the Sheraco Stakes to win The Everest consolation.
I Am Me kicks clear in the Sydney Stakes.Credit: Getty
“We were just having a chat and I had to convince [jockey James McDonald] she was the right horse and that she was flying and to disregard her last run where she sort of overdid it a little bit,” Maher said. “He summed it up perfect. He got her out quickly, but he didn’t ask her to be there.”
I Am Me ($4.80 fav) settled outside the lead of Coal Crusher ($31) and then burst to the lead up the rise before holding off Airman ($6.50) by three-quarters of a length. I Am Me’s stablemate, Bella Nipotina ($5), was the only horse to make significant ground from back in the field, rushing home for third.
“She had to be tough late because they felt like they were surging, but gee she stuck her head out and had a crack,” McDonald said of I Am Me.
“Credit to the second horse because I knew he was there. I accelerated brilliantly and he was stuck to me like glue. I was cursing about the furlong, but I was pretty happy over the line.”
Jockeys face off
Nash Rawiller and James McDonald traded barbs in a fiery stewards inquiry in which Racing NSW’s chief stipe Steve Railton admonished Rawiller, claiming “I’m running this inquiry, not you”.
Rawiller had pleaded his case after stewards rolled vision of his mount, favourite Tom Kitten, having a mid-race bumping duel with McDonald on Tannhauser after the latter had rushed to his outside in the Gloaming Stakes.
“I had no intention to start a bumping duel, but then James started on my horse,” Rawiller told stewards. “What I’m saying is, is the initial pressure came from James. I was in a position I had to react because I was losing my position.”
Railton was none too pleased with Rawiller’s tone after Tom Kitten zoomed home from back in the field to run a narrow second to front-running Raf Attack ($8.50), which smashed It’s A Dundeel’s 1800-metre class record by more than two seconds.
Tom Kitten ($2.60 fav) went under by a quarter of a length in an enormous run.
Railton eventually told both jockeys it was Tom Kitten’s racing manners that contributed to the ugly incident with no cautions issued.
“I said at the start of the prep he could be the best horse I’ve ridden and he hasn’t let me down today,” Rawiller said of Tom Kitten.
Raf Attack will be prepared for the group 1 Spring Champion Stakes.
“He’s been in a couple of high pressure races that just haven’t suited him, so getting out in trip has been the key and he’s been able to sustain a good gallop and they’ve broken a very good record,” co-trainer Adrian Bott said.
“They’ve run along all the way, and he can sustain a good speed like that. He’s going to go onto the Spring Champion in great shape.”
Arctic Glamour all quality
Gerald Ryan had all the confidence he needed even before Arctic Glamour stepped out onto the track for the Reginald Allen Quality.
“When [Kerrin McEvoy] won on her the other day the first words he said were, ‘I’d go anywhere to ride this [horse]’,” Ryan recalled.
He didn’t even have to leave Sydney’s eastern suburbs for his next ride, steering Arctic Glamour to her first stakes win in the listed fillies contest.
McEvoy wheeled the Frosted mare to the middle of the track upon turning and Arctic Glamour ($1.85) sped home to beat Joliestar ($4.40) by a widening 1½ lengths.
She will take on the Thousand Guineas later in the spring.
“That’s her main aim,” Ryan said. “Frosted’s stats with horses running 1400 metres to 1800 metres are better than what they are for horses running under 1400 metres. She’s a Galileo mare and she has a thrown a stakes winner by Rebel Raider over a mile-and-a-half. We always thought [Arctic Glamour] would run 2000 metres.”
