Showcause, who had won two races before Saturday, is a 5yr-old gelding by Giant's Causeway from Showella, by Lord Ballina from Show Queen, by Balmerino from Show Gate.
Show Gate, owned and trained at Mosgiel by Gordon Thomson, won feature races at New Zealand Cup meetings in 1972, '73, '74 and '76.
She won the Spring Plate for 3yr-olds in 1972 and the Stewards' Handicap the following year.
Show Gate displayed versatility beyond compare in 1974.
She won the Stewards' (1200m) on the first day under 59kg; the Canterbury Gold Cup, a limited handicap with 56kg over 2000m four days later and the Churchill Stakes (1600m) under 57kg on the third day.
The apprentice Chris Ramage was the successful rider each time.
The Gate Keeper mare was back in 1976 to finish second to Grey Way in the Stewards' under 63kg; win the Canterbury Gold Cup and finish second to Tonic Time in the Churchill Stakes.
Show Gate produced the colts Sporting Show and Every Show and the filly Show Queen.
Balmerino won the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton in 1975.
Every Show won the 1983 Churchill Stakes and Sporting Show won an open 1400m race at the 1982 New Zealand Cup meeting.
Show Queen did not win in four starts.
She left seven foals including Showella, winner of the 1999 South Australian Derby and group one Lion Red Stakes at Ellerslie when trained by Frank and Craig Ritchie.
She was raced by Terry Archer, of Whangarei, who bred Showcause.
Frank is the trainer of Showcause, who is raced by a nine-person syndicate, including Peter Archer, a cousin of Terry.
"I syndicated the horse for $225,000 in a space of a few days among clients of Frank," recalled Peter Archer.
A 5yr-old, Showcause has been restricted to 18 starts after eight months months away from racing from November last year with a suspect suspensory ligament.
Frank Ritchie trained Bonecrusher, who ran third to Random Chance and Field Dancer in the 1985 Two Thousand Guineas.
Ritchie won the Otaio Plate at the meeting with Lord Amber.
His son, Shaune, won the New Zealand Cup last year with My Scotsgrey.
Showcause was being ridden for the second time by Darryl Bradley, the Palmerston North jockey who won the 1998 New Zealand Cup on Sapio.
