Maiden Performance of The Week: I'mdaone

Franking his debut second to the well regarded Sir Andrew, the impressive looking I'mdaone (Fully Fledged-Cape Merlot by Cape Cross) ran out a narrow but impressive winner of a 1200m maiden event at Avondale on Monday.

Slowly away, the leggy, long striding gelding was inclined to race a little greenly in the early stages, although some of this may have been due to feeling uncertain of his footing on the Heavy 10 surface. Still well back on the point of the home turn, once balanced by rider Mark Du Plessis he was switched back to the centre of the track and despite giving the leaders a conservative 5 lengths with 200m to go and having to come between tiring horses, he hit the front just short of the line to post a strong win.

Although brown in colour and not the chestnut of his sire, I'mdaone is a tall, long barrelled type who bears a strong physical resemblance to his father.

Stole My Thunder's (Fully Fledged-Copious by Racing Is Fun) debut win on Thursday at Gisborne franked a good week for the Fairdale Stud sire. With last season's promising two-year-olds Constellation and Dufellforte due to return to the race track shortly, Fully Fledged has some nice prospects for the spring and beyond.

I'mdaone was bought from Masterton's Ardsley Stud 2012 Karaka Select draft for $75,000 by his trainers Keith and Brendan Hawtin. His younger half sister by two years is the dual juvenile stakesplaced filly Elusive Red, and they hail from the black-type laden Bourbon Lass family whose latest headline horse is last season's Group 1 2000 Guineas and Doncaster Handicap winner Sacred Falls.

There is sufficient scope in I'mdaone's profile to suggest that this weeks win will not be his last.