02 October 2024 | Ashleigh Paikos
Tuesday mornings barrier draw for this Fridays Group 1 WA Okas couldn’t have gone any better for Colin Brown, with his duo drawing barrier one and two in the feature for the girls and at this stage, both will be driven forward at release point.
“I think if Xceptional Arma can lead, that would be good,
“I think to make it a race, Xceptional Arma has to lead.” Colin Brown said.
With Xceptional Arma drawn in barrier one, and stable mate Relatively Arma drawn right beside her in barrier two, but Brown is under no illusion that he will keep the front easily, with plenty of speed drawn outside the likely favourite in Water Lou
“If she leads, that brings everyone else into the race.
“If Water Lou gets to the front over 2500, it becomes a procession.
“She will be attempting, I’m not saying she can, the two horse will punch through early, it will provide a bit of a buffer hopefully to those horses on the outside.”
Making mention that he has plenty of respect for all of the fillies in the Group 1 WA Oaks, Xceptional Arma and Water Lou do look the stand outs of the race, but with all 12 stepping up this season, the $150,000 purse could go any way.
“They’ve got their fillies to step up and improve, yeah we can win if things go our way, either of them could, the other horse (Relatively Arma) could be a sniper, she will come out hard and she’ll look for cover, she’s definitely improved on a strict maintenance program.
“I just think if the one horse holds up, it turns it into a good race.”
Xceptional Arma, who hasn’t won since March 26 this year, but Brown hasn’t been at all disappointed in her racing, with a range of circumstances attributing to that.
“She’s a genius at getting little things wrong at the wrong times in the past 12 months or so,
“I’ve been happy enough with the runs, I just think when she’s racing against those other fillies, those other fillies have caught up,
“It’s not that my filly is going any worse from what she was 12 months ago, its just that the other have improved more on her.”
Although they have every intention to lead, Brown is aware that not all plans work out how you expect them to, but he’s confident that Xceptional Arma is good enough to come from behind too.
“I think it was the Westbred final, she came from three back on the rail, and that was one of her more impressive wins to the eye, so she can sit and kick, especially over the 2500m,
“She’s got options, so if it comes to that, she does have options.”
A brave man, being the father of three daughters, he admitted he’s past telling Maddy (Maddison Brown) how to drive Xceptional Arma, admitting he has given instructions the last few starts and further admitting he had got it wrong.
“I’ve been married for 44 years and occasionally you’ve just got to tell them they’re right.” Brown joked.
Maddison Brown had the pick of the two, but Brown is confident even if Xceptional Arma had drawn barrier 9, Maddison would have stayed loyal to the horse and the owners.
Trent Wheeler gets the steer on Relatively Arma, and although he doesn’t consistently drive for the stable, Brown was confident in Wheeler’s strike rate on his team.
“Strike rate, Trent’s probably been our best.”
Xceptional Arma was outstanding throughout her two-year-old campaign and with in excess of $310,000 in stakes, there was a time they weren’t sure she would it to the track, with a serious bout of Colic lasting weeks threatening not only her career but her life.
“As a two-year-old, I can remember driving down the freeway on a Saturday afternoon, ringing the owners and the after-hours vet, and saying to the owners if this one dies on me, I’m ******* out of here.”
Xceptional Arma not only went on to survive the ordeal but went on to win WA’s 2023 2YO Filly of the Year.
Ashleigh Paikos
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