Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Speedy filly Xceptional Arma is ready to resume racing on a winning note following a smart trial at Pinjarra on Thursday July 6.
She will start from barrier three in the 2130m Catalano Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Maddison Brown is likely to use her sparkling gate speed in a bid to set the pace. Xceptional Arma has led and won three times over 1730m at Gloucester Park.
At her only start over 2130m, in the Gold Bracelet on March 31, she had a tough run in the breeze for much of the way before running home with great determination to finish a head second to the pacemaker and $1.04 favourite Water Lou.
Xceptional Arma then won easily at her following two starts — in a heat and the final of the WA Gold Bullion feature event — before contesting the $400,000 national final of the Gold Bullion over 1609m at Menangle when she began speedily from barrier three before breaking into a gallop 20m after the start.
Thirty metres later she hit a wheel, met interference and broke, losing three lengths. She then raced in sixth position and just plugged home to finish eighth, twelve lengths behind the winner Eye Believe.
Xceptional Arma started from the outside barrier in the field of five in her recent 2185m trial at Pinjarra when she burst straight to the front and ambled through the opening 400m sections in 32.1sec. and 31.3sec. before sprinting over the final quarters in 29.4sec. and 29.1sec. to win by a length from Im Lightning Banner, rating 2.2.4.
Xceptional Arma is prepared by astute Banjup trainer Colin Brown, who will be represented by Relatively Arma in Friday night’s race. He will drive Relatively Arma, who faces a stern test from the outside barrier in the field of nine.
Relatively Arma, who has been placed at one of her three starts, warmed up in good style for this week’s race with a trial win over 2150m at Byford on Sunday morning. She led from barrier No. 2 in the six-horse trial and rated 2.2.6 in winning by a nose from the talented Lion Queen after final quarters of 30.4sec. and 28.3sec.
Trent Wheeler will drive the Aiden De Campo-trained San Remo Beach, a Bunbury winner in March and a last-start winner over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week when she raced in the breeze and finished strongly to beat the pacemaker Atlantic Gem.
Lenora Jane, to be driven by Mitch Miller for trainer Kim Prentice, will have many friends when she starts from the No. 4 barrier. She impressed on debut when she led from barrier one and careered away from her five rivals in the final stages to win by four lengths from Seaside Rose. She sprinted over the final 400m in 26.9sec. and rated 1.56.4 over 2100m.
Colin and Maddison Brown also have excellent winning prospects with American Arma in the $22,000 Bridge Bar Pace in which the five-year-old mare is favourably drawn at barrier two.
American Arma, a winner at ten of her 38 starts, has a losing sequence of 15. But her recent runs have been full of merit. She began from barrier five in a field of six last Friday night and raced in last position before finishing strongly to be second to the frontrunning Stormyskyes, who dashed over the final 800m in 56.8sec.
A week earlier American Arma trailed the pacemaker Steno and fought on solidly when second to that smart mare over 2130m.