THE BARRY LOCKWOOD STABLE STARTS OFF THE NEW SEASON ON A BRIGHT NOTE WITH TWO EARLY WINNERS

By Graham Potter | Thursday, August 5, 2021

LOCKWOOD STABLE LIGHTS UP THE SCOREBOARD ON DAY 1 OF THE NEW SEASON. (AUGUST 1).

The Barry Lockwood stable was quick to light up the scoreboard on the first day of the 2021/22 with Abel Mabel striking in a Class 4 Handicap over 1000m at the sunshine Coast.

The Spirit Of Boom mare was sent out as second favourite at a starting price of $4.40 on the betting boards, but she was certainly not second best on the track where she had the measure of the $2.45 main fancy Highland Son, winning by 0.50 lengths.

This victory continued the now five-year-old’s fine race record which has seen her salute in four of her seven starts while also having a third and a fourth place on her record.

Abel Mabel was second-up here after resuming in Saturday metropolitan company at Doomben and she showed the benefit of that first-up run when having the capacity to resist the pressure applied by Highland Son, who carried 3.5kg less than the Lockwood trained runner.

Abel Mabel has been brought along very carefully by Lockwood. As a three-year-old she had more trials than races (four trials and two races), but she did end her first season as a winner, taking out her Maiden over 1050m at Doomben on June 10, 2020.

Her career blossomed early in her four-year-old campaign when she won two out of three starts in the month from August 23 to September 23 (the wins coming in a Class 2 and a Class 3 race, both over 1000m).

Abel Mabel than again disappeared from action and only reappeared after a nine-and-a-half month break when resuming in that Doomben run on June 10, 2021.

The fact that Lockwood had brought her back in great order was emphasised by the Sunshine Coast win under a confident ride by Jimmy Orman, who jumped Abel Mabel into the leading line, putting her into the race in superb fashion, before taking control of the race approaching the 200m mark, leaving the others chasing.

Highland Son, who had that significant weight advantage, had every chance to run Able Mabel down but the Lockwood runner was having none of that and she and Orman remained too strong to the line to secure a fine victory.

Abel Mabel; stopped the clock in 57.50 seconds for the 1000m carrying 57kg.
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LOCKWOOD’S TONGUE IN CHEEK COMMENT ABOUT THE PRESSURES OF LEADING THE METROPOLITAN TRAINER’S PREMIERSHIP. (AUGUST 4).

Barry Lockwood joked about the pressures of being top of the Brisbane Metropolitan leadership ladder after Fiorente Star had taken out the first race at the first Metropolitan meeting of the season at Eagle Farm.

“It was a great start to the day. A few seconds afterwards this weight just came down on me and I thought, poor Tony (Gollan) … all year he has got to lead the premiership and here I am leading it now,” quipped Lockwood.

“Now I have got to put up with this enormous weight. I hope the pressure is halved by the next race,” again said with a twinkle in the eye.

Lockwood also offered this view on the subject of Fiorente Star himself, who was claiming his maiden win at his sixteenth attempt.

“He is a very slow learner,” said Lockwood. “I can’t tell you his nickname at the stable … it wouldn’t be fit for publication … but he is picking it up as we go.

“We freshened him up after his last run. Probably his best run here was when he ran on from behind. The next run he got lost … so I said to Mark (Du Plessis) to just try to stay on the fence if you can, but it turned out he had to get off anyway.”

Before shifted off the fence approaching the home straight, Fiorente Star raced towards the rear of the field, some seven lengths off the speed.

Four wide, with still some five lengths to make up on straightening, Fiorente Star made steady ground all the way down the home straight and, when he hit the front with 150m left to run, it looked as if he was about to race away to a comfortable victory … but he then wanted to shift in, a move which briefly kept alive the hopes of Palace House, who had been up with pace throughout, and it also hampered the faster finishing Baltic Cavalier.

Fiorente Star did see off both of those challenges to beat Palace House and Baltic Cavalier by 0.30 lengths and 1.60 lengths respectively.

That second margin was to prove significant as Baltic Cavalier’s jockey Michael Cahill fired in a protest against the winner on return to scale.

An extract from the official steward’s report reads:

‘On return to scale a protest was lodged by M Cahill, rider of third past the post Baltic Cavalier against first past the post Fiorente Star (M Du Plessis) alleging interference passing the 200 metres.

'After taking evidence from connections of both runners and viewing the patrol footage Stewards found that passing the 200 metres Baltic Cavalier was hampered and obliged to alter course when Fiorente Star shifted in under pressure.

'Bearing in mind where the incident took place, the 1.5 length margin at the finish and the manner in which both runners finished the race off, Stewards dismissed the protest and correct weight declared on the semaphored placings. At a subsequent inquiry M Du Plessis, rider of Foirente Star was reprimanded for careless riding under AR131(a).'

So, Fiorente Star was now officially a winner … even if he had to win the race twice, once on the track and once in the steward’s room.

And, yes, the pressure of leading the Metropolitan Premiership was lifted off Lockwood’s shoulder’s by the end of the day … Chris Waller’s two winners stealing that position from him.

Like they say, getting on top is one thing. Staying there is another thing all-together.