Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Big filly Nevele Arma is following in the footsteps of her illustrious dam Arma Xpress as she is developing into an outstanding two-year-old pacer for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green.
She was an $8.20 chance when she fortuitously gained the perfect one-out, one-back position in the $250,000 Trotsynd Diamond Classic over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night before finishing powerfully to snatch a thrilling last-stride victory.
Nevele Arma is the sixth foal out of Arma Xpress, who was a champion two-year-old 14 years ago when she won the Western Crown Classic, the Sales Classic, the Champagne Classic, the Westbred Classic, the Gold Bracelet and the Golden Slipper before being retired the following season with a record of twelve wins, one second and $279,889 in stakes from 18 starts.
Everything fell into place for Nevele Arma on Friday night after she began from the outside barrier (No. 3) on the back line and settled down in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before unexpectedly gaining the one-out, one-back spot about 450m after the start when Our Robyn Hood veered outwards from the one-out, one-back position and had to be restrained to the rear.
The polemarker All Out Of Aces ($5.50) was setting the pace, with the $2.35 favourite Seaside Serenade working in the breeze. Egerton-Green patiently waited until 220m from home before Switching Nevele Arma three wide.
All Out Of Aces began to hang out under pressure in the home straight, thus giving Im Catastrophic ($6.50) a dream inside run, and a narrow lead with about 60m to travel. Nevele Arma fought on grandly to gain victory by a head, rating 1.58 after final quarters of 27.6sec. and 28.8sec. All Out Of Aces finished third, and Seaside Serenade was fourth.
The Group 1 classic was a triumph for Egerton-Green, who qualified four runners for the event, with Nevele Arma’s stablemates All Out Of Aces finishing third, Some Dancer fifth and Arvannas Wish tenth.
This gave the 33-year-old Egerton-Green his third Group 1 victory as a trainer and his tenth Group 1 success as a reinsman. He has now prepared 380 winners and has driven 1170 winners.
Nevele Arma, who is owned by Jim Currie, was originally trained by Colin Brown, Egerton-Green’s father-in-law who was driven to distraction by one of the filly’s annoying and dangerous habits and decided to send her to Dylan’s Serpentine property.
“I didn’t have a horse float anymore and she kept jumping off the top of my truck and launch herself and lob 20 metres away,” explained Brown.
Egerton-Green said that six months ago there were no plans to race Nevele Arma as a two-year-old because the filly was so big and green. “But then we were fortunate enough that she developed mentally,” he said.
“Her first few runs were full of merit, and she has got better every time she has gone around. I chose to drive her on Friday night ahead of her three stablemates because she is the hardest to drive and is still learning what racing is all about.”
Friday night’s victory gave Egerton Green his second success in the Diamond Classic as a trainer and driver. He won the event in 2022 with Zephyra, who went on to win the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies that year.
He is now planning a similar program for Nevele Arma, with the $215,000 Westbred Classic due to be run on September 4. After that, the $150,000 Golden Slipper could be an option.
Nevele Arma has earned $156,997 from three wins and two seconds from five starts. Her victory gave Egerton-Green the second leg of a training and driving treble. He won the Free Entry Pace with Captain Stirling and the HTA Access Solutions Pace with Major Miki Whitby.
Captain Stirling reappeared after a 17-week absence when he was the $1.60 favourite from barrier seven. He settled down in eighth place before going forward out three wide after 450m to move to the breeze after a lap and then hit the front approaching the home turn and going on to win by a length from $15 chance and early leader Art Ideal. Atlas The Titan ($8.50) made most of the running and did well to finish third at his first start since late October 2024.
“I’m not happy with his gate speed,” said Egerton-Green. “What he lacks in gate speed he gains in strength. Moving forward, hopefully we can get a bit more out of him out of the gate to gain better positions.
“His main aim will be the big races for four-year-olds later in the year. He has shown he can go good enough against the good one like he did in the Derby last year.”
Captain Stirling, who finished second to Runkle Crunch in the WA Derby last October, has raced 28 times for six wins, ten seconds and two thirds for earnings of $218,085.
Major Miki Whitby also showed that he is sure to develop into a strong candidate for the big events for four-year-olds when he was the $1.20 favourite who outclassed the opposition over 1730m. He burst to the front from barrier four and set a brisk pace before winning by almost five lengths from Lou Lamour ($8), rating 1.55 after final 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 28.6sec.