Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
A losing sequence of 14, including unplaced efforts at her past six starts, and the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line did not prevent talented three-year-old filly Xceptional Arma from bouncing back to her best form and winning the $21,000 Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The winner of the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-olds in September of last year, Xceptional Arma was a $34.80 outsider, with Lion Queen the $2.60 favourite from barrier two on the back line.
Soho Honey Rider ($6) was smartest to begin from barrier five but was unable to get past the polemarker and $3.40 second fancy Chilli Punter, who led until passed by $34 chance Soho Vesper Lind 1100m from home.
Maddison Brown, driving Xceptional Arma for her father, Banjup trainer Colin Brown, restrained the filly back to last while the early pace was a cracker, with a lead time of 36.4sec. and opening quarters of 29.1sec. and 28.6sec.
Xceptional Arma dashed forward, out three wide, approaching the bell and she was four wide on the home bend before sprinting strongly to get to the front with about 90m to travel. She went on to win by a length from $11 chance Nase Vira, who finished solidly from seventh at the bell.
Xceptional Arma, who rated 1.56.2, has been a splendid moneyspinner who now has raced 37 times for 13 wins, 12 placings and $325,535 in prizemoney.
“She was actually a bit lazy back in the field,” said Maddison Brown. “We usually have plugs and pull-downs on two different cords, but I had only one cord tonight. I would have liked to have popped the plugs a bit earlier to get her travelling a bit more.”