Daniel Bowman aiming Is It Me at Wangoom Handicap after Saturday’s Bendigo test

A forced switch in plans has created the possibility for trainer Daniel Bowman to pull off a hometown coup after Is It Me runs at Bendigo on Saturday.

Is It Me will head to Bendigo on Saturday after a delayed start to his campaign. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Disappointment could lead to a chance for a hometown triumph for trainer Daniel Bowman after Saturday’s Bendigo meeting.

Bowman wanted to test Is It Me in next Saturday’s Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington but a slight setback forced the trainer to shelve those plans.

“He was going to go to The Valley then the Hareeba (Stakes) at Mornington but he had a bad blood picture coming into The Valley so we just scratched and gave him time to go over it,” Bowman said.

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Now Bowman has his eye on running Is It Me in the Wangoom Handicap during the Warrnambool May Carnival.

Saturday’s Benchmark 84 Handicap at Bendigo will leave Is It Me in perfect shape for his Warrnambool tilt.

A win at Bendigo would cement Is It Me’s place in the Wangoom Handicap but Bowman was confident the winner of four of 10 starts would secure a start irrespective of Saturday’s result.

“He’s going to be touch and go whether he’ll get into the Wangoom on the rating he’s got at the minute,” Bowman said.

“If he won Saturday, it would be great and it would get him in but I’ve got a feeling with the boosted prizemoney in Adelaide, a few more might go there than in other years.

“I think he might get a run this year.

“I think he’s the perfect horse for it because he’ll have no weight and will race on speed.”

Trainer Daniel Bowman test smart galloper Is It Me over 1100m in a Benchmark 84 contest at Bendigo. Picture: Getty Images

Is It Me was narrowly beaten in a Benchmark 78 race at Flemington at his last run on January 13.

Bowman will give the son of Iffraaj his first run below 1200m at Bendigo but has kept the four-year-old on the fresh side for Saturday’s $130,000 contest.

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“It’s the first time at 1100(m) so we’ve kept him fresh without any jumpouts for it,” Bowman said.

“It might be a bit short for him but he’s definitely got the class.”

Bowman suggested punter ignore Is It Me’s run at Bendigo at the corresponding meeting last year.

“He drew 10 and there was a monorail one or two horses off the fence,” Bowman said.

“If you weren’t there, you weren’t able to get into the race and he was five-wide the whole way.”

Originally published as Daniel Bowman aiming Is It Me at Wangoom Handicap after Saturday’s Bendigo test