Showtime is the 2018 PB Lawrence Stakes Winner

Showtime is the 2018 PB Lawrence Stakes Winner

Four-year-old Showtime has realised his black type potential by beating a star-studded field to the line in this Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield this afternoon.

With mighty mare Winx running in her namesake race at this trip in Sydney, some of the country’s best horses were instead set for this race and an outstanding sixteen-horse field of Group 1 talent was the result.

Jumping from the gates well, jockey Dwayne Dunn allowed Showtime to stride forward and take a position on-pace with Jungle Edge.

Keeping the pressure on around the turn, the Snitzel entire kicked clear when he saw the finishing post and maintained well to the line to withstand the challenge of Hartnell as well as the flying pair of Widgee Turf and Kings Will Dream.

Dunn delivered a gem of a ride aboard Showtime to win the PB Lawrence Stakes and believes there’s plenty more in store for the horse this time.

“I didn’t know what Kevin Forrester (Jungle Edge) was going to do and what tricks he was going to pull out of his bag, I didn’t want to let him get away from me and go,” Dunn said.

“We weren’t actually going that quickly, so it was a good effort. The horse this time last year lacked a bit of substance, he fought hard but lacked a bit. Today when I put him under pressure and they all came at him, he really lifted.

“He’s gone to another level now. It was a nice little run in Sydney the other day and then came down here just to turn him on and hopefully we see a lot more of him this prep.”

Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes was on hand for Showtime’s win in the PB Lawrence Stakes and revealed that the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at this track and trip will be his next campaign target.

“He’s got a fat pedigree and it was a good effort there,” Hawkes said.

“When the leader came and crossed us, he wasn’t four in front like I assumed he would be pre-race. It probably took him until the six or seven hundred until he relaxed, so it was very difficult to do it both ends, but he did.

“He’s won a few races, this bloke but it was far and away his best run. One thing that my father said was that at two he had the right pedigree, but he’s be at his best at four.

“We just wanted to see where we go today. 1400m here at Caulfield, he ran great in the Futurity and he’s won today, so he obviously gets around the 1400m well so we’re very happy.”