By a sire whose only two wins in 13 starts came in a maiden at Kyneton and a conditions event at Mornington, out of a mare that failed to run a place in five starts, Showrica is as unlikely a mare you would find whose descendants occupy the stables of the most powerful racing organisation in the world.
By the Star Kingdom stallion Dorica Star, Showrica defied her blue-collar pedigree by becoming a useful race mare.
But that looked a long way off when, at her career debut back in December 1977, Showrica trailed the 15 runner's home in a 2yo maiden at Canberra.
Off the scene for five months, Showrica improved to finish third on her home track. She broke through a fortnight later at Canberra and added another three wins and two seconds on the same track before being taken to the big smoke.
She was runner-up three times in Sydney before ringing up number one at Canterbury. Three starts later the daughter of Dorica Star won at Randwick but that was to be her last win, retiring with a record of six wins and eight placings from 25 starts with earnings of just over $20,000.
Still, there was not a lot to enthuse about when Showrica entered the breeding barn. But she was about to play an important role in the career of two trainers.
The second foal of Showrica was a gelding named Warned.
A son of the Red Alert stallion Alert (IRE), Warned won the Group I Ampol Stakes in 1987 for young trainer Lee Freedman.
A year earlier Freedman celebrated his first Group I winner with Miss Clipper in the SAJC Australasian Oaks. She was also by Alert (IRE) and they were far and away the best two racehorses he sired.
Three years after Warned, Showrica foaled the flying Show County.
A son of the Vain stallion County, Show County won 11 stakes races for trainer Max Wiggins although a win at the highest level proved elusive.
He looked a world beater when reeling off five consecutive wins, the
Breeders' Plate, Silver Slipper Stakes, Maribyrnong Plate, Kindergarten Stakes and Skyline Stakes before meeting his Waterloo in the Pago Pago Stakes. He was third in
Also runner-up in the Group I Lightning Stakes and Group I Oakleigh Plate, Show County broke the million dollar barrier when winning the Group II (now Group I Canterbury Stakes).
A promising young horse named Zabeel was third that day.
In between Warned and Show County, Showrica foaled the filly Leetrela.
A sister to Warned, Leetrela was a Rosehill winner from 11 starts and was purchased by Woodlands Stud.
She only had six foals, five raced and four won. The best was her last, the Alquoz gelding Appoint, an 11-time winner of three stakes races including the Group III Rubiton Stakes.
Another good performer was the Canny Lad mare Dinna Fash the dam of the Lonhro filly Celts.
The winner of four and placed in six of her 17 starts, Celts scored a career highlight in the Group III Birthday Card Stakes, however, her victory over Buffering and Hinchinbrook in the Listed Governor Macquarie Stakes at Randwick is indicative of her quality.
Now sharing the paddocks with the bluebloods at Darley, Celts first two foals were by Street Cry (IRE) the second of which is Gaulois who will be searching to break a frustrating run of four placing from as many starts when he tackles Saturday's TAB Hcp (1350m) for two-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens.
As we mourn the loss of Street Cry (Ire) (pictured) every time Winx goes around, it proves a timely reminder of the perils of rushing to judgement on first season sires.
The son of Machiavellian was being written off after leaving just three winners from 11 runners, good enough to place him in 21st spot on the leading first-crop
