Randwick resumption likely for Showmanship

Media Release - Thursday August 18

Danny O’Brien is leaning towards heading north to Sydney on Saturday with his comeback gelding Showmanship to contest the Gr.3 Show County Quality (1200m).

The Barwon Heads trainer has also accepted with the New Zealand-bred gelding for the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at The Valley, but he believes the son of Showcasing is better suited to the Randwick feature.

Showmanship will likely head to Randwick this weekend. Photo: Natasha Morello (Racing Photos)

“We are probably leaning toward Sydney. I think the 1200m at Randwick is probably a better set-up for him,” O’Brien told RSN.

“We have only got 1000m for him at The Valley and the rail is out, so it might be a bit tough for horses getting back in the field.”

The seven-year-old gelding attracted many admirers two years ago when winning six consecutive races for former trainers Grant and Alana Williams, culminating with victory in the Listed Bendigo Bank Stakes (1200m).

Carrying the silks of well-known owner Bob Peters, Showmanship was heading towards earning a berth in the A$15 million The Everest (1200m), however, he suffered a tendon injury, which ruled him out of racing for nearly two years.

In his comeback earlier this year, Showmanship showed he had lost none of his talent when resuming in March with a trial win in his 1000m heat at Colac.

He didn’t make his raceday return until placing in the Listed Wangoom (1200m) at Warrnambool in May in his first start for O’Brien, who has taken it quietly with the gelding since then.

He was set to kick-off his spring preparation last week, but O’Brien elected to wait a week after running bloods on the seven-year-old last Saturday.

Advertisement

“He left a bit of feed (last week) and we didn’t want to risk him. He bounced back really quickly and by Monday, he was fine,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien has been pleased with the talented sprinter and is looking forward to stepping him out this weekend.

“He is really well,” O’Brien said. “He had a run back in the Wangoom, but that was a few months ago. That was off a long break, he hadn’t raced in 18 months.

“He got good improvement from that run. He has maintained really good fitness since then, over the winter, and I think he is ready to step-up and hopefully pick up where he left off a couple of seasons ago when he put a long string of wins together.”

O’Brien is unsure what spring holds for Showmanship, but a Group One tilt is on the cards if he continues to improve.

“He is still down the bottom of the ratings in stakes grade so he has got a lot of options in what he can run in,” O’Brien said.

“We would like to think that he can work his way through potentially to some form of Group One by the end of the spring, but he is not a hard horse to place.”

Showmanship was purchased by bloodstock agent John Chalmers, on behalf of Bob Peters, out of Haunui Farm’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Yearling Sale draft for $145,000.  – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
Melbourne Cup Dream Alive for Kiwi Stayers
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).