Dynamic Syndications have enjoyed the ride of a lifetime with I Am Invincible mare I Am Me and it ended with fireworks at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale when the $4.7million earning sprinter was sold to Arrowfield Stud for $2million.
Trained by Ciaron Maher, but consigned by Shane Rose’s Bimbadeen Park, I Am Me was in strong demand as you would expect for a mare that won five Group and Listed races among her 11 wins with three G1 placings.
I Am Me was originally purchased by Dynamic Syndications / Dean Watt Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Segenhoe Stud draft at Inglis Premier for $210,000 and has delivered a lifetime of thrills and huge financial gain for her lucky group of owners.
“It's been a dream result and she's been the dream horse,” said an emotional Adam Watt.
“It's just so amazing to see a room full of so much love here tonight for their horse and to realize $2 million here at Chairman's.
“She was a $210,000 yearling filly at Premier. She took us on the ride of a lifetime. She's won our owners $4.7 million, 11 races, and to come here tonight and sell for $2 million, it's honestly pinched me stuff.”
I Am Me ran in the Arrowfield slot in last year’s Everest and Watt was thrilled to see the mare heading to their farm.
“I just know that she's going to the best home in the Southern Hemisphere, and for me that is the greatest result. I know that she'll get a beautiful life and she'll be mated to the best stallions,” he said.
“They're the number one stud farm in Australia for a reason and I'm just so excited and so thankful to the Messara team and John Freyer and all the guys there, they've been such wonderful people to deal with.
“We buy a lot of horses off them and we did team up in the Everest together. We didn't get the result there that day, but we got the result tonight with them and I'm just so thankful.”
Adam Watt was involved in the purchase of I Am Me as a yearling at a difficult time in his life and she has a special place in his heart.
“People don't know, but I got diagnosed with melanoma just before that sale and mum and dad weren't that keen to see me buy a horse for that sort of money and I just said, ‘no, I'm doing it’ and she's just taken us on the ride of a lifetime. And to manage a horse like that all the way through, not just the horse, it's the people,” he said.
“These people are just wonderful people and to take them on a journey like this and to experience this all together, the money's been great. But as I said, it's the experience that means everything.
“To see their smiles and how happy they are. It makes this job worthwhile. There's plenty of lows, but to see their smiles and see them ride the highs, it makes it all worthwhile.
“This is the greatest high that I've had in my career. Dad's won plenty of group ones. He's won a Cox Plate and a Golden Slipper, but this is my greatest high.”
I Am Me comes from one of the world’s best female families that has produced champion sires such as Storm Cat and Royal Academy and her mother Mefnooda is now in the ownership of leading New Zealand farm Cambridge Stud.
John Freyer confirmed I Am Me will be retired immediately and there is a likely suitor in mind for Arrowfield’s latest acquisition.
“We haven't finalised anything as yet although she'll probably go to The Autumn Sun,” he said.
“We like her very much for him and we think she's the right type of mare for him. So that's probably where she'll go.
“We know her quite well because we took her in the Everest and she's a filly that we've admired for a long time. She's really fast, really quick. She's by a great stallion and she's got a really deep family that goes back to Storm Cat. So it's a really, really good family. It's one that we like and we think she'll be a great addition to the broodmare band.”
