Barry Lockwood was quick to praise fellow trainer Brian Smith after reformed bad boy Tokamak won the $85,000 Tattersall’s Members’ Cup on Wednesday.
Tokamak ($6.50) emerged as a winter carnival hopeful when he made it three wins in a row at Eagle Farm.
He swept past the leaders at the 200m to beat I’llbetricked ($21) by two lengths with a half neck to Rock Home Late ($14).
Lockwood, who has recovered from a stint in hospital, has been in great form since he moved his team from Tamworth to Brisbane late last year.
He trained in Sydney for many years and also worked closely with Smith who is now one of Brisbane’s leading trainers after also moving from New Zealand and then Sydney.
“Brian and I have been mates for 30 years and he is my greatest adviser. He has been a big help since I moved here,” Lockwood said.
Lockwood has 10 horses in Brisbane but Tokamak is the one he has held high hopes for as a possible winter carnival horse.
“Tokamak won his first four starts but then he really struggled to find his feet in higher grade. He was a bit of a loop but with maturity the penny has really dropped,” Lockwood said.
He said Tokamak would have a let-up and then be prepared for the winter carnival.
“We will put him on the water walker for a while and give him a light time. He might not be up to the races like the Stradbroke Handicap in the winter but we can pick around the edges in some of the easier feature races,” Lockwood said.
Winning jockey Paul Hammersley said Tokamak had copped an early check but he had been able to get away from the fence early and the gelding had stormed home.
Earlier, in-form trainer Kelso Wood was rewarded for some hard work when his gelding Signified landed long-priced bets with a first-up win.
Backed from $12 to $9, Signified finished well to beat Skating on Ice ($31) by a long neck with 2-1/2 lengths to G’Day Old Mate ($5.50) in third.
“He had a few little problems when he came back into work but we worked hard on them. He got in well here on a wet track after Anthony’s (apprentice Anthony Allen) two kilo-claim,” Wood added.
