28 October 2020 | Ken Casellas
Ace Banjup trainer-reinsman Colin Brown has a high opinion of American Arma and he predicts the two-year-old filly will improve significantly on her winning debut when she contests the Choices Flooring Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He said that American Arma was underdone when she raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to beat the pacemaker Bettor Beach Belle by a length, rating 1.56.9 over 2130m last Friday week.
“She pulled up very big after that win,” Brown explained. “She will strip a lot fitter this week. Since her win, she’s had a gallop and two hoppled runs. Her work has been very good and she couldn’t be much fitter. She’s much fitter than she was, first-up.
“She didn’t show a lot of gate speed on debut, so I’ve pulled her hopples up two holes.”
American Arma will start from an awkward draw at barrier No. 6, with Better Beach Belle (barrier seven), polemarker Testarudo (No. 1), Joelene (nine) and Benesari Lane (eight) appearing her chief rivals.
Brown also trains Joelene, who will be handled by Dylan Egerton-Green, who was in the sulky when she was a comfortable winner over Testurado over 23100m at Bunbury last Saturday night.
“From the outside barrier Joelene probably will take short cuts,” said Brown. “She pulled up well after her Bunbury win and is sure to improve.”
Brown said that he would not decide his tactics with Patrickthepiranha until the field was sent on its way in the 2536m Retravision Pace in which the talented four-year-old will start from the outside barrier in the field of nine.
Patrickthepiranha bounced back to form with a powerful all-the-way victory over Im Soxy and Roman Aviator over 2130m last Friday week when the gelding was fitted with hood type blinkers for the first time in his 29-start career.
“He was getting too lackadaisical, so I decided to use the hood type blinkers,” Brown said. “He’ll have them on again this week and I’ll see how the horses drawn to his inside come out before determining our tactics.”
Bettor Be Oscar (barrier No. 1) and Stroke Of Luck (No. 5) appear Patrickthepiranha’s chief rivals. Bettor Be Oscar, trained and driven by Aiden de Campo, has resumed from a spell in fine style with a first-up third behind Our Perkins followed by a close second to Jimmy Mack last Friday week when he finished fast after trailing the pacemaking Jimmy Mack, who dashed over the final quarters in 28.2sec. and 27.1sec.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
