Racing and trotting Ten to one Show Gate; but not in today’s race

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 24

Racing and trotting Ten to one Show Gate; but not in today’s race

Show Gate at odds of 10 to one! Not, of course, for today’s feature flat race at Ashburton, but in the latest market for the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap. which will be run at Randwick on Octolier 2. , Mr Gordon Thomson’s 1 great mare is equal third favourite for the Epsom and there will be more than a glimmer of interest across! the Tasman in her performance over the same distance, in the first leg of today's! T A B. double at Ashburton. Show Gate has 57.5 in the Epsom. Today she will carry <

62.5, but in a handicap with, a minimum scaled 3.5 kg higher than the rich Sydney race. Mr Thomson’s plan to got after rich Australian prizes with Show Gate is engaging lively interest, especially in. the South Island. Show Gat- has shown; qualities that would make her a force in the most dis-i tinguished company, and ■ those who were talking; about her in the same breath ■ as Leilani in the spring of 1974 were anything but! i starry-eyed. Only for being lost to rac-i ing for so long after fracturing a sesamoid bone Show; iGate's Australian adventure.

i. might have materialised be- ; fore now. But to judge from her impressive comeback victory at Oamaru last month the lay-off has not been accompanied by any : diminution of her powers. Only a marked deterioration in the track at Ashburijton today would blunt the : edge of Show’ Gate's bril■l iiance enough to place her I formidable sequence of wins ■ I;in jeopardy. Ashburton had 25 points 1 of rain up to noon yesteri day, but it was dry in the ; afternoon and the Ashburton , ; club’s secretary, Mr Trevor , Robertson, last evening des- • cribed the track as easy. Connections of Grey Way I

will be hoping for every bit of drying possible today. They plan to embark one of the stars of last autumn’s racing on a fresh campaign in the Strathconan Stud Flying Handicap, second leg of the double, but the grey will go into the race with a falloff in confidence — he has 64kg — if the ground is yielding or worse. Kowhai Glen, Dandyman, Surge Again, Te Pango Nui, and Great Blaze are all cap-i able on “off” tracks and the winner should be on that short list if conditions trip Grey Way.