Onwards and upwards after Invador opens Brisbane campaign with terrific second

Platinum Invador opened his Brisbane campaign on a terrific note at Eagle Farm yesterday, raising hopes for some lucrative targets in the next six weeks.

Despite carrying clear topweight of 61kg in the Brisbane Open, and not having raced for seven weeks, Platinum Invader motored home from the rear to finish second under international jockey Mark du Plessis.

For a few seconds in the run home it looked like Platinum Invador might even win the 1815 metre race for owners Neville McAlister and Lincoln Farms, but he was pinged late by Victory Eight, carrying 7kg less, going under by one and a quarter lengths.

“Mark said he just ran out of petrol in the last 100 metres,” McAlister said. “But we’re certainly off on the right foot.”

Platinum Invador arrived at Barry Lockwood’s stable in Brisbane just three days before the race, not having raced since the Auckland Cup on March 13.

But McAlister said Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta had him “tuned up and ready to go.”

“He had three weeks in the paddock after the cup and four weeks work and Mark said the way he worked at Eagle Farm on Thursday - he was bouncing off the walls and pig rooting - he thought he’d be right in it.

Ex Kiwi rider Mark du Plessis rode a perfect race on Platinum Invador at Eagle Farm on Saturday.“I thought Mark was being a bit optimistic but he was right on the money.”

McAlister said Platinum Invador appreciated the good tempo of the race, unlike the tame, walk-and-sprint-home pattern in Victoria on his spring campaign in Australia.

“It was lucky they bowled along. He and the other horse came from last. They seem to go along a lot more in Brisbane.”

While the carnival horses have yet to arrive in Queensland - the influx starts at next week’s Gold Coast meeting where the visitors will include Kiwi hero Melody Belle on her swansong tour - McAlister said he hoped Platinum Invador would be competitive in his next three runs.

The immediate targets

His next three starts, at two week intervals, will be:

May 15: A$150,000 JRA Chairman’s Trophy (2000m) Group III at Doomben

May 29: A$200,000 Premier’s Cup (2400m) Group III at Eagle Farm

June 12: Either the A$1.2 million Q22 (wfa 2200m) Group II or A$400,000 Brisbane Cup (3200m) Group II at Eagle Farm.

“Barry will decide what race he contests on June 12, depending on how the horse is going. The two miles of the Brisbane Cup is on the edge of his limit.”

McAlister will be hoping the weather is good for the horse’s next start at Doomben because he does not produce this best on wet ground.

Eagle Farm, on the other hand, was much more likely to be to Platinum Invador’s liking.

“There have actually been a lot of complaints over the Eagle Farm track being too hard. It was still a good 4 when he raced yesterday and they’d put on 70mm of water during the week and had 30ml of rain overnight.”

Barry Lockwood … still shoes his own team.Lockwood perfect choice as trainer

It was Zimbabwe-born ex Kiwi du Plessis, who has ridden many times for McAlister over the years, who advised he send the horse to Lockwood.

“I rang Mark to ask him to ride the horse and how we should do this campaign. He said give me a day and I’ll ring you back.

“He did and he said Lockwood would be a perfect choice for trainer as he has only a small team now so we know he’ll get well looked after. The horse would get lost in a big barn.

“Barry is very easy to deal with - he’s a lovely guy - and he’s been around a long time and worked with a lot of top trainers (including Paul Sutherland and Brian Smith).”

New Zealanders might remember Lockwood winning the inaugural Magic Millions two-year-old race at Trentham in 1993 with Rock Review who, under Larry Cassidy, beat Donna’s Gold.

“He’s 68 and still does his own shoeing.”

Check out Johnny Tapp’s feature on Lockwood’s interesting career here.