Where Are They Now: Golden Gate

The “Where Are They Now” series is about more than just headline acts. It celebrates the mares who, through toughness and honesty, gave their connections memories to last a lifetime and now carry those legacies into the broodmare paddock.

For Gore horseman John Ryan, that mare was Golden Gate (Earl – Gee Castleton). She was a late bloomer, not debuting until five, but once she found her stride she took Ryan on the ride of his life. In 79 starts she won 10 races, placed 12 times, earned more than $80,000, broke a national record, and gave Ryan the thrill of campaigning in the North Island against the best.

“She took a while to come to it, like a lot of trotters,” Ryan reflects. “She was on the small side and a bit slow maturing, but once you started to let her run, you could tell she had a real turn of foot. That kept me going more than anything.”

Ryan partnered her himself for some early victories, but it was junior driver Rory McIlwrick who forged the strongest connection with the mare. “Rory came to me as a young guy starting out, and it was great to give him that opportunity. He even went on to win the junior drivers’ championship. Sure, he made a few mistakes on her, but he also outdrove Dexter Dunn a few times. Rory probably won more races for me than anyone else.”

That partnership delivered Golden Gate’s greatest moment on Show Day at Addington in 2016. Lining up in a 2600m stand, the nine-year-old mare produced the race of her career, storming home to not only win but smash the New Zealand record for trotting mares over the trip — paying $25. “That was my highlight without a doubt,” Ryan smiles. “To win during Cup Week is special enough, but to do it in record time was something else. The Southerners all had a great day — a lot of us went up there and got wins — but for me it was the biggest thrill I’ve ever had in racing.” The price only sweetened the memory. “She was overlooked by the punters that day, but Rory drove her an absolute treat. When she straightened, she was just too tough for them. People still remind me how they got on at those odds. For me it wasn’t about the money — it was seeing a horse I bred and raced beat some of the best on one of the sport’s biggest stages.”

The bond forged between Ryan and McIlwrick through Golden Gate has lasted long after her racing days. “He’s a character, Rory — out of the box. He’s made mistakes like any driver does, but he always fronted up and he gave her some brilliant drives too. We’ve kept the connection ever since — he still drives horses for me, and he’s won more races for me than anyone else. Without that mare, Rory and I wouldn’t have built that bond. She brought us together, and that’s pretty special.”

Ryan also took her north, where she contested feature races at Cambridge and Alexandra Park, although the mare struggled in the humid climate. “She just couldn’t handle the humidity in Auckland. She came in season and basically never came out of it for a month. She was a true Southern girl — she loved her home country.”

After retiring, breeding her proved another challenge. She repeatedly slipped foals at 35 days until Ryan turned to a daily drench programme that finally gave results. “It’s made all the difference. Since putting her on it, I’ve had four foals in a row without any trouble. It’s a big commitment because you can’t miss a day, but it works.” Those foals include three-year-old colt Craggyn Dhu (Superfast Stuart), two fillies by Imperial Count, and a weanling colt by Habibi Inta.

“Craggyn Dhu is a monster now, 16 going on 17 hands. He’s going to take time, just like his mother. He’s a lovely horse, but a bit of a goof. I’m in no rush with him.” Of the Imperial Count fillies, he notes: “They’re lovely natured, just want to be with you all the time — your best mates really.” And the Habibi Inta colt? “He’s built differently from the others. Strongly made, with the look of a real athlete. If any of her foals are going to make it, it could be him.”

Ryan is content working just a couple of horses as a hobby, the same way he did as a freezing worker decades ago. “It’s always been a hobby for me, from 50 years ago. I’d come home from the freezing works, sit behind a horse and forget about the day. She’d be the best horse I’ve ever put a bridle on.”

For him, Golden Gate is more than just statistics on a page. She is a family story, tracing back to the mares his father bred and raced, and her foals now give him the chance to carry that legacy on. “I’ve got two fillies out of her as well, and I’m quite pleased about that because I can carry on Golden Gate’s side of it.”

She might never have been a superstar, but Golden Gate had courage, gave her owner-driver unforgettable highlights, and forged lasting friendships along the way. Her legacy now lives on in the paddocks of Southland, where her foals represent the next chapter of a story written from sheer perseverance and love of the game.