Is That A Fact the one to beat in Arthur Jones

IS THAT A FACT's 1:06.4 at five and a half furlongs, the fastest time at the trip in more than a month, makes him the horse to beat with 117lb at six furlongs in Saturday's Arthur Jones Memorial.

Reporting against overnight-allowance runners, a half of the field having not won a race this season, IS THAT A FACT's rich form and light impost should hand him a hat-trick, having easily beaten local-bred ACKNOWLEDGEME last time out.

After posting 1:06.4, The Palace Malice three-year-old colt returned two weeks later to hammer ACKNOWLEDGEME in 1:22.1 at six and a half furlongs with topweight 126lb. ACKNOWLEDGEME was a six-length winner of his previous race and a narrow loser to speedy ESSENTIAL QUALITY prior.

A money-back winner on debut as a two-year-old last November, IS THAT A FACT was caught at the wire by another importee, SISTREN TREASURE, at six furlongs on his second outing. Returning six weeks later, the American figured early at five and a half furlongs before finishing a dismal sixth behind SISTREN TREASURE at five and a half, a contrasting run which led Jason DaCosta to send him on a break.

Though not drilled at exercise for his July 8 return, IS THAT A FACT clocked 1:06.4, a full second faster than the 1:07.4 he had finished seven lengths off when beaten by SISTREN TREASURE five months earlier, signalling he was ready to show his true worth, which he certainly did by easily putting away ACKNOWLEDGEME.

I'VE GOT MAGIC, one of five Americans in the nine-horse line-up, reports down in class with back-to-back open-allowance wins under his girth. However, the five-year-old hasn't raced since January and is bogged with topweight 126lb, doing little at exercise and allowing IS THAT A FACT nine pounds.

FREEDOM STREET, who was inexplicably hit with topweight 126lb in two of his last four overnight-allowance races, is being gradually eased by the conditions but finished down the track at seven and a half furlongs on July 29 with 110lb, suggesting running six races in three months, against better opposition, might have taken a toll on the local-bred gelding.