Hayden Meikle counts down the 150 greatest moments in Otago sport.
No 117: Show Gate earns double honour (1977)
The Wingatui mare, paddock-trained by Mosgiel chicken sexer Gordon Thomson, was nothing to look at but had blinding speed and a will to win that made her one of the greatest mares to grace the racetracks of New Zealand.
She raced 51 times for 30 wins and had nine placings and, in 1977, became the first dual winner of the New Zealand horse of the year award, a title she also won in 1975.
Underlining Show Gate's greatness was her versatility - she won from 1200m to 2400m and was considered a certainty in the 1977 Wellington Cup over 3200m, going down only to Good Lord to whom she was giving weight and a start after dropping back to last in the running.
As a 5-year-old in 1975, she won three feature races in a week at the New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton.
She started off with the Stewards Handicap (1200m), stepped up to win the Canterbury Gold Cup (2400m) on the middle day and then finished off by claiming the Churchill Stakes (1600m) on the final day.
Show Gate's final race epitomised what made her a champion. Racing in the Trentham Stakes, she faltered at the 1000m mark and turned for home off stride.
However, she gathered herself and ran down a fine galloper in Varnamo. It turned out that she won despite damaging her sesamoid, an injury which had her caused her to miss her 6-year-old season.
Riccarton commentator for more than 30 years, Reon Murtha, who called many of her most memorable wins, rates her behind only Sunline as the finest horse to have raced in New Zealand since World War 2.
