By Bren O'Brien
A tendon injury may have put a hold on the career of The Kosciuszko winner It's Me (Shamus Award), but the unbeaten 4-year-old mare's connections remain confident she can get back to the track and continue her winning ways.
The Brett Cavanough-trained It’s Me produced a stunning late surge at Randwick to win the $1.3 million Kosciuszko at start number four, stamping herself as a rising star on one of Australia's biggest racedays.
But on Monday, her owners Grand Syndicates revealed that she sustained a tendon injury during the race and will be immediately sent for a spell and rehabilitation under the eye of noted specialist Lee Everson.
While the past 48 hours have yielded a rollercoaster of emotions for Cavanough and the mare's owners, Grand Syndicates racing manager Sam Lyons remains optimistic of a racetrack comeback for It’s Me.
"Regardless of what happens from here, we have been very lucky to have got what we have with her. It is still hopefully the first chapter of her career," he told TDN AusNZ.
"Regardless of what happens from here, we have been very lucky to have got what we have with her." - Sam Lyons
"It's disappointing but I've been in racing long enough now to know you take nothing for granted and you be thankful for what you do get. She will go to the best of care in Lee Everson, who did a wonderful job with the other one last time, and I'm sure she will come through the other side.
"They don’t lose their ability, but it’s just a matter of how long it takes and what we have to do with her."
It's Me and her strapper after winning The Kosciuszko
While the injury news has soured the aftermath of the win, which took It’s Me's career earnings to $816,000, Lyons said it doesn't alter the amazing journey she has taken them on, having only made her debut at Scone in August.
"Every time she has stepped out, she has done it hard. She hasn't done anything easy yet. She hasn't had the back of horses which have taken her into the race. Every time she has had to do it herself. She hits the front and she keeps going away from them," he said.
"Her last 200 metres on Saturday was as fast as her 400-200 sectional, and to me that says she is something pretty special and she is probably looking for a bit further, up to a mile or so.
"Fingers crossed a few months down the track and we can be back."
Bred by John Carter, It’s Me was sold through the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $65,000 to Grand Syndicates. She is a half-sister to Listed winner Yourein (Reset) and stakes-placed Off The Rails (Snitzel) .
Behemoth ok after brutal Everest
Saturday proved a big day for Grand Syndicates, who also had multiple Group 1 winner Behemoth (All Too Hard) run in The Everest under the slot of The Star.
The high speed nature of the race, which was won by Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), did not suit the David Jolly-trained Behemoth, and Lyons said he had pulled up a bit sore and sorry for himself.
"He pulled up with a bit of dirt in the throat. It was a bit of farce, the best horse won the race, but the way those horses up the front were ridden destroyed it for four or five horses. It seemed a silly way to run the race," Lyons said.
"We were out of our comfort zone most of the way and he can't do that without cover. We were caught in no man's land, and he had kickback coming back on top of him, he was just that far back, with no horses in front of him.
"He resented that, came back with a black eye and was a bit sore and sorry for himself, but he’ll be back bigger and better for next time."
Lyons said that Behemoth would likely head to the paddock and be set for a campaign towards the All-Star Mile in 2020.
Behemoth
