Formerly a rising star of Western Australian ranks, lightly raced eight-year-old Showmanship returned to the winners’ circle for the first time in almost two years at Caulfield.
The son of Showcasing races in the colours of leviathan Perth owner Bob Peters. He made a sensational start to his career with victories in seven of his first eight starts, including the Listed Chandler McLeod Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in September of 2020.
Showmanship had almost two years off the scene after that, then returned in 2022 with a placing in the Listed Wangoom Handicap (1200m) in May and a win in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick in August. He was later unplaced in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield before another two-year lay-off.
Now in the care of Pakenham trainer John Leek Jr, Showmanship finally returned to action earlier this season with a fourth in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m) and unplaced finishes in the Wangoom Handicap, a 1400m handicap at Sandown and the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) in Sydney.
Showmanship was an overlooked $20 outsider with horse racing bookmakers for his first attempt over 1600m on Saturday, but he turned back the clock and made a triumphant return to form in the hands of jockey Damian Lane.
Showmanship was slow to leave the starting gates and settled at the tail of the field, but he warmed into his work down the side of the track and began to make eye-catching progress through the field.
The favourite Jimmy The Bear hit the lead and looked the winner at the top of the home straight, but Showmanship emerged as the danger on his inside. That pair fought out a tight tussle to the finish, and it was Showmanship who found that little bit more to claim a narrow win. The third placegetter finished five and a half lengths behind the first pair.
Showmanship has now had 16 starts for nine wins, a placing and $520,350 in stakes.
“It’s fantastic,” Leek said. “He’s a beautiful horse. He’s had a lot of problems along the way.
“He was able to really let down today in that rain-affected ground. I saw him weaving his magic through the field just before the home turn, and I realised we might be actually going to win a race with him. It’s just fantastic.
“We worked him up the rise on Tuesday and we’ve just swum him since. We rarely put a saddle on him and just try to keep him happy.
“Now that we’ve got him back in winning form, hopefully we might get suitable track conditions again, convince Damian Lane to ride him again and see if we can repeat this result.”
Lane was having his first raceday ride on the rising nine-year-old.
“I was hoping to settle a little bit closer than he has been lately, but he began poorly so I had to go straight to Plan B straight away,” he said. “But he always travelled well and I was quite confident a long way out. He was picking up very strongly from about the 600m.
“One advantage of settling in that back and inside position is that I had the opportunity to cut through the field, rather than having to loop around.
“Credit to John. He’s done a great job to turn this horse around.”
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