I Am Me put her hand up for a potential slot in the $20 million The Everest race on October 19 with her strong The Shorts 2024 victory at Randwick on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher-trained six-year-old I Am Invincible mare went out as the $2.60 favourite in this year’s Group 2 $1 million The Shorts (1100m) and did not disappoint.
After a narrow win fresh in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) she was too good again defeating a field of 2024 The Everest hopefuls thanks to a perfectly timed ride by James McDonald who was fresh off his other million-dollar win on Fangirl for Chris Waller in the 7 Stakes.
“To do it first up, obviously, is one thing, but to repeat it two weeks later like that is a good effort,” stable rep Johann Gerard-Dubord told the media post-victory.
“I think we’ll just have to see how she comes through that first (before The Everest talks).
“Doing it every second week, it’s never easy. There is a a four-weeks gap to The Everest,which could be ideal. We’ll just have to see how she comes through that first.
“She will tell us, but she’s done a perfect job so far.”
McDonald had I Am Me sitting up on the speed throughout before charging home over the final furlong to hold off the fast-finishing Stefi Magnetica by a head on the line in The Shorts 2024 results.
“She’s quality and she just wears a heart on her sleeve,” McDonald said.
“She always felt in control of the race and even from a furlong from home, I felt like I was always going to win, even though they were so close.
“She’s just doing enough, enough, enough.
She’s won the first two lead-ups to the great race, so she’s ticking a lot of boxes.”
Mazu was brave also under a length beaten in third to complete the trifecta.
Classique Legend (2020) was the last sprinter to complete The Shorts – The Everest double.
All-in 2024 The Everest betting on I Am Me to be the next have her at $17.
Click here for the latest markets from Ladbrokes.com.au.
2024 The Shorts Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | I AM ME | Ciaron Maher | James McDonald | 2 | 55kg | $2.60F | |||
| 2 | 3 | STEFI MAGNETICA | Bjorn Baker | Zac Lloyd (a) | 0.2L | 7 | 56kg | $9 | ||
| 3 | 4 | MAZU | Joseph Pride | Jason Collett | 0.75L | 5 | 56kg | $13 | ||
| 4 | 9 | DRAGONSTONE | Joseph Pride | Reece Jones | 1.03L | 3 | 55kg | $31 | ||
| 5 | 12 | MUMBAI MUSE | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 1.13L | 1 | 54kg (cd 54.5kg) | $8.50 | ||
| 6 | 1 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Jay Ford | 1.57L | 11 | 57kg | $5 | ||
| 7 | 7 | LADY OF CAMELOT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 2.75L | 8 | 55kg | $13 | ||
| 8 | 10 | OUR KOBISON | Angela Davies | Dylan Gibbons | 3.05L | 4 | 55kg | $14 | ||
| 9 | 11 | WAY TO THE STARS | Matthew Smith | Ms Rachel King | 4.45L | 6 | 55kg | $61 | ||
| 10 | 2 | AFT CABIN | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 5.44L | 10 | 57kg | $9.50 | ||
| 11 | 8 | COAL CRUSHER | Joseph Pride | Regan Bayliss | 5.82L | 9 | 55kg | $41 | ||
| 5 | BANDI’S BOY | Danny Williams | Chad Schofield | 0 |
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