Bowman’s Behemoth Stakes G1 declaration

Daniel Bowman is aiming high with stable star Is It Me, who resumes in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville this Saturday in what the trainer believes is the perfect first step towards elite company.

The six-year-old returns to the track against unbeaten mare Cicala, but Bowman's real focus lies on the path toward the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next month.

“I told Mitch Freedman after his second start this horse would win a Group 1,” Bowman said. “It might’ve sounded bold, but the talent was obvious.”

After early challenges with race manners, Is It Me matured significantly last campaign, culminating in three straight wins, including a top effort in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m).

“He was all raw ability in the beginning,” Bowman explained. “But giving him space between runs and having Billy Egan aboard really helped him come of age.”

With Egan currently unavailable, Dean Yendall picks up the ride this weekend, and Bowman is confident the switch will serve the bigger spring plan.

“Dean’s a natural lightweight, so it gives him a chance to get a feel for the horse ahead of the Rupert Clarke, where he could ride light,” Bowman said.

The strategy is to run in the Behemoth, step into the Memsie Stakes next, and peak in the Rupert Clarke where Bowman believes he’ll be right in the mix.

“When I had Begood Toya Mother, we used the Memsie as a gauge, and if you’re close in that race, you’re a genuine chance in the Rupert Clarke,” he said.

Currently priced at $4.40 for Saturday’s Group 3 contest, Is It Me sits at $26 for the Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Punters looking to back Is It Me can compare odds and grab spring specials at Australia’s best betting sites here.