Bowman Believes Bigger Sandown Track Key to Is It Me’s Success in Open Handicap

In the latest update from the world of horse racing, trainer Daniel Bowman is banking on the larger Sandown track being a crucial factor in the success of his gelding, Is It Me, as the horse takes on an open handicap race this Saturday.

Is It Me to Compete in Tile Importer Handicap

Is It Me will be competing in the Tile Importer Handicap (1400m) at Sandown, and the gelding has the advantage of dropping 6kg from his most recent outing. His last start was a third-place finish in a benchmark 78 race at Caulfield on June 1, over 1200m, which followed a disappointing 13th-place finish in the Listed Wangoom Handicap (1200m) at Warrnambool last month.

Rationale Behind the Open Handicap Decision

Bowman explained the rationale behind the decision to run Is It Me in the open handicap, stating:

“We wanted to get him onto a bigger track, and it is a jump to an open handicap. But it’s a bit hard to justify to the owners to wait a week for Flemington for a benchmark 84 worth $80,000 when he just ran in a benchmark 78 race worth $130,000 at his last start.”

Bowman’s Confidence in Is It Me’s Performance

The trainer believes that the gelding didn’t have enough room at Caulfield, but the performance showed that the Warrnambool track was not to Is It Me’s liking. The horse will now return to the 1400m journey, which Bowman believes is more suited to the gelding’s natural abilities.

Jockey Jordan Childs has recommended the step up to the longer distance, and Bowman is confident that Is It Me is starting to put it all together. The trainer says the current preparation is aimed at raising the gelding’s rating, with the ultimate goal of targeting a race like the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in the spring, should Is It Me prove good enough.

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