IT'S SHOWTIME AT GOULBURN

MONDAY: January 25, 2021: THE show must go on!

Brad Widdup clinched a career milestone 150 wins at Canterbury last Friday night, and isn’t resting on his laurels.

Widdup posted his third winner this month – and his 13th this season - when lightly-raced Showtime Lady led her rivals a merry dance at Goulburn today.

Rider Mitchell Bell rode the Showcasing three-year-old positively, and she had no trouble securing the lead.

Bell then controlled the Class 1 Handicap (1300m), and Showtime Lady ($5.50) was never seriously threatened.

Having only her sixth start, she notched her second success in defeating $2.20 favorite Zouly and First Crown ($7).

The winner’s stablemate Lady Tavista ($4.60) also ran well to finish fourth.

“I didn’t expect Showtime Lady to lead; I thought we might have a bunny to trail,” Widdup said this evening en route home to Hawkesbury.

‘Mitchell (Bell) gave her a great ride and took the initiative when the lead was up for grabs.

“I’m sure there is further improvement in the filly and that she can manage further than 1300m.”

Showtime Lady is raced by a James Harron Bloodstock syndicate, and fetched $50,000 as a 2019 Gold Coast yearling.

Widdup has been patient with the filly, and she didn’t make her debut until December 2019 when successful first-up at Canberra.

“She jarred a knee when she went back to Canberra for her fourth start in July last year and ran second, and we gave her a good break,” Widdup explained.

“I didn’t want to run her first-up on a heavy track at Wyong on January 2, but had to get her going again.”

There was a touch of irony in Showtime Lady’s defeat of favorite Zouly, who was ridden by Blaike McDougall.

He was in the saddle when Widdup’s filly burst into the winning list on debut at Canberra just over 12 months ago.

. Showtime Lady’s star stablemate Icebath will have her second trial this time in on the Warwick Farm course proper next Monday.’

Widdup is leaning toward trialling her over 900m as she nears a return to racing.