Trainer Luke Price acknowledges that Our Gold Hope will need both luck and a strong pace to be competitive in her first black-type sprint, but he’s confident that she’s in good form to challenge the odds.
The mare, priced at $61, is expected to be one of the longer-priced runners in Saturday’s Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill, marking her return since a second-place finish to Socks Nation in the Queensland Oaks (2200m) in June.
She has shown positive signs in her two recent barrier trials, and with a solid track record of never finishing worse than fifth in 10 starts across a range of distances (half of which were at Group level), Price wonders if the bookmakers might be underestimating her.
“I nearly fell over when I picked up the phone (Wednesday) afternoon at the races and saw 80-1. I was like, ‘oh, yes please’,” said Price.
“Obviously, you’ve got to be realistic. She’s first-up in a tougher grade at 1200m than she’s raced before.
“But she’s going well at home, and her trials have been impressive. I’m really looking forward to seeing how she performs on race day, as well as her potential for the autumn.”
Following the Southern Cross Stakes, Price plans to confirm a carnival program for Our Gold Hope, eyeing major Group 1 races, including the Coolmore Classic (1500m) on March 15 and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
While the mare has previously been stretched to middle-distances, Price believes she is better suited to a mile.
“I don’t think I’ll push her further this preparation. There’s an option to go longer if needed, but even when she was heading towards 2000m last prep, her riders felt she was probably better as a miler due to her sharpness,” he explained.
“The Oaks was always our goal, and she adapted well to the challenge. Now, we’re focusing on her being a miler.”
Price anticipates that Our Gold Hope will settle towards the back of the field on Saturday, but he’s hopeful the race will unfold in her favor with enough speed. He’s optimistic about her ability to finish strongly.
“If they run along and things go as planned, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her finish over the top of them with just 53 kilos.”
In addition to Our Gold Hope, Price will also have Noble Soldier running in the Midway Handicap (1350m) and Mogwai in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1350m), with Price particularly upbeat about Mogwai’s chances.
“Mogwai has been a fantastic addition to the stable,” he said. “I’m hopeful he can pay for himself on Saturday, as I expect him to be very tough to beat.”