Veteran trainer Colin Brown has always held a high opinion of Arma Xfactor, even when he frequently jarred up after racing as a two and three-year-old.
The six-year-old stallion gained an overdue win and ended a losing sequence of 17 and a 13-month drought when Brown’s daughter Maddison drove him to an upset victory in the $31,000 Pensamarr Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This boosted Arma Xfactor’s record to 16 wins, 17 placings and stakes of $220,993 from 72 starts, a splendid performance which Brown attributes to the success of special corrective shoeing.
“He used to jar up after racing as a young horse, and then X-rays revealed that his nearside front hoof was the problem,” explained Brown. “The pedal bone was counter-rotating.
“Pedal bones are supposed to sit on to the foot, not level but tilting three degrees upwards, not three degrees downwards as was the case. So, he was fitted with a special aluminium shoe which corrected the problem. And a similar shoe was fitted to the off-side hoof to make sure that the horse was properly balanced.”
Friday night’s event was generally regarded as a match race between star mare Penny Black ($2.80) and millionaire champion Mister Smartee ($1.90), with Arma Xfactor the fourth favourite at $18.60.
In a surprise move Arma Xfactor dashed forward from the No. 7 barrier at the start and raced three wide for the first 400m before taking the lead 150m later and then being joined in the breeze 700m after the start by Penny Black, who began out wide at barrier eight.
Aided by a slow lead time of 37.5sec. and modest opening quarters of 31sec. and 29.6sec. Arma Xfactor was able to defy the persistent Penny Black and sprint over the final 400m sections in 27.3sec. and 28.1sec. and beat the mare by just under a length, rating 1.55.9.
Mister Smartee was far from disgraced in finishing fourth. He was in last place when Stuart McDonald sent him forward, three wide, 950m from home. He fought on determinedly.
Brown said that Arma Xfactor’s form was sound, with three placings from five starts leading into Friday night’s event. “He is one of those horses who hardly ever draws (favourably),” he said.
“Tonight, we predicted horses on his inside would restrain early with the expectation that Penny Black would be going forward. Therefore, there was a big chance that Arma Xfactor was going to find the front, and he is a better horse in front.
“I told Maddison to go forward. I said don’t be pretty; we’re not here to be pretty. Now there are no set plans for the horse who will win more races if he finds the front.”
Arma Xfactor is by outstanding sire American Ideal and is the third foal out of Arma Xpress, who was retired after racing 18 times for 12 wins, one placing and $279,890. Arma Xfactor is a full-brother to American Arma (50 starts for 11 wins, 17 placings and $191,613) and Xceptional Arma (45 starts for 13 wins, 15 placings and $332,922).
