Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Richly talented driver Maddison Brown had tactical thoughts churning in her mind for the three days before driving Xceptional Arma in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But she remained composed and kept her cool to produce a faultless drive to land the $5.50 third favourite a brilliant winner of the 2130m Group 1 feature event.
Xceptional Arma drew barrier No. 10, the inside of the back line, and Brown tossed over in her mind whether she would remain on the pegs and wait for an opportunity late in the race to ease into the clear, or to angle off the inside soon after the start to ensure the filly would not be hopelessly hemmed in at the business end of proceedings.
“I spoke to Dad (trainer Colin Brown), and he advised me to stay on the pegs,” she said. “But Xceptional Arma got a bit keen in the warm-up, which she hadn’t done before. So, I thought I didn’t want to be baled up on the rail if she was overracing.
“I considered coming off (the pegs) at the start before I decided against it. She was a touch keen, but not overly keen. I was looking to get off the pegs at the bell, but she was a bit keener, and I would’ve had to bring her back a bit to get off before the three-wide train came.
“I didn’t get off at the bell before things worked out perfectly when Bazaar Package on my outside was battling to keep up and dropped off (with about 600m to travel). I released the pull-downs at the top of the straight, but I probably didn’t have to.”
Xceptional Arma was fifth at the 300m and fourth on the turn before she burst to the front and coasted to a stylish victory, beating $41 outsider I Cross My Heart by two lengths, with the pacemaker and $2.60 favourite Miss Hepburn a gallant third, 2m farther back.
Water Lou, the $5 second fancy, finished sixth. She started from the outside of the back line and settled down in eighth position before Shannon Suvaljko sent her forward, three wide, to move to the breeze after a lap. She got on terms with Miss Hepburn 250m from home before wilting. The final quarters were run in 28.4sec. and 29.3sec. and the winner rated 1.56.8.
Grand Couteau ($18) impressed in finishing fourth after receiving a punctured sulky tyre in the middle stages and then running home, five wide, from eleventh at the bell.
Xceptional Arma gave her driver her second Group 1 success, following her win with Longreach Bay in the Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings in June 2020. Friday night’s victory also gave the 27-year-old Brown her 274TH driving success.
Xceptional Arma is by American Ideal and is the fourth foal out of former star juvenile Arma Xpress, who amassed $279,890 in stakes from twelve wins and one placing from 18 starts.
Xceptional Arma, bred and owned by Liam O’Connor and Jim Currie, has had eleven starts for six wins, three placings and $208,054. Her full-sister American Arma won at five of her six starts as a two-year-old and now has raced 44 times for eleven wins, 14 placings and $177,785.
Friday night’s victory gave Xceptional Arma’s owners and trainer Colin Brown a welcome and worthwhile reward after they had shared the disappointment of the filly travelling to Sydney to contest the $400,000 APG Gold Bullion final at Menangle in late April this year when she broke early and then met interference soon after that and finished eighth behind Eye Believe.