When I Am Someone (Onemorenomore) arrived at Shadow Hill in Victoria as an underdeveloped 2-year-old, Kim Alderton couldn’t have imagined that he'd ever make it as a racehorse, let alone contest a Group 1 race, as he does on Saturday in The Goodwood at Morphettville.
Breeder Brad Scott had been sent to Shadow Hill, run by Alderton and her husband Dale, by a local breaker who felt the horse needed to develop significantly both mentally and physically if he was ever a chance to make it to the track.
After seven months of education, I Am Someone emerged looking a completely different horse, albeit with some of the same quirks which made his time with Alderton so memorable.
I Am Someone after some time developing at Shadow Hill
"He arrived with us as a very undergrown 2-year-old colt. He was about the size of some of my weanlings at the time. He came to me to grow out," Alderton told TDN AusNZ.
"The physical change in him was huge. He was always a quirky fella. He was always very nervous and I had to spend a lot of time with him."
"He was about the size of some of my weanlings at the time." - Shadow Hill's Kim Alderton
Alderton spent considerable time on her special project, dropping in on him during feed runs to get him comfortable with stable life.
"He was a really nervous guy. He was funny. Some days, you’d catch him no problems, but the girl that was working for us, she couldn't catch him. But he trusted me so it was easier for me. He was just a funny little fella. He still has some of those traits, but you can deal with him now," she said.
"He is one of those horses who will always have that little bit of that nature about him, but he was settled enough that he could deal with life as a racehorse."
Kim Alderton (right)
As if often the case with an unsettled colt, a gelding operation also helped remedy some of his wayward ways, but even after all the work she had done with 'Onesy', Alderton was never certain he'd make it on the track.
"As a young horse they said he could buck like no tomorrow. I always wondered how he'd go as a racehorse. But he had a lot of time off which was beneficial for him to forget his bad traits," she said.
Off to become a racehorse
Sent to Horsham trainer Paul Preusker, I Am Someone has developed into a sprinter of some ability, winning five of his 15 starts, including a last start stakes win in the Listed Wangoom Hcp at Warrnambool.
On Saturday, he is considered a leading chance in South Australia's richest sprint race.
While a lot of the credit for that belongs to Alderton, she says Preusker has done a great job of continuing the education she began with I Am Someone.
"I know Paul puts a fair bit of work into him and I'm sure he has given Paul plenty of grief along the way, but he seems to have him well under control," she said.
"Early in his career one day, he got scratched when he rushed the barrier, but now, even in the mounting yard, he seems a lot more relaxed."
I Am Someone winning the Listed Wangoom H. at Warrnambool
Alderton has plenty of confidence in his ability and in his prospects of adding a top-flight win on Saturday.
"He's run second to Nature Strip (Nicconi) earlier in his career, that looks good," she said. "If you look at his form, the races he hasn't won, he's either been held up or overraced, which is a bit of a trap of his. I think he has every chance of winning on the weekend, so fingers crossed."
Preparing for Gold
Having done such a fantastic job with I Am Someone, Alderton was asked by Scott to prepare his younger half-brother by Stryker for this year's Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale.
There was more than a sense of deja-vu when he arrived at Shadow Hill for his yearling preparation earlier this year.
"He was very similar, but not quite as behind as I Am Someone was, but he really kicked on in the prep," she said. "He was a bit behind, and we had a bit to do to get him in the sale because we only had him for eight weeks, but he came along very well."
"He will be a nicer type than I Am Someone. He'll certainly be bigger than him."
"He will be a nicer type than I Am Someone. He'll certainly be bigger than him." - Kim Alderton
Paul and Tracey Templeton picked up the colt for $56,000, which was a great result for Scott and another endorsement for Shadow Hill, which also offered a small draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale earlier this year.
The half-brother to I Am Someone, Stryker x Vanity Sky
But while sales successes are nice, Alderton, who worked at Eliza Park for 18 years before setting up Avenel-based Shadow Hill with Dale a few years ago, takes most pride in the behaviour of the horses that come under her care.
"It comes down to their start in life. That's got a huge part to play in how they go into the stables," she said. "That education when they are babies is the most important thing."
"My babies now you can go out and trim their feet and they have not long been off the farm. That's what I take my pride in handling and educating those young ones."
