Latest News

By Ray Hickson

She might be an underdog in the $10 million XXXX Golden Eagle (1500m) but Hope In Your Heart has come such a long way in a short time that trainer Kerry Parker says she’s deserving of her shot at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The Kembla Grange trainer sent her on a Group 1 path as an autumn three-year-old and he credits that campaign for the form she has shown since returning at four.

This time last year Hope In Your Heart won a Class 1 at Goulburn but since contesting the Group 1 ATC Oaks in April she’s strung three wins together including a pair of Group 3 mares features, downing Honeycreeper in the Angst Stakes two weeks ago.

“I’m really happy with her, she’s won three on the bounce and is going terrific,’’ Parker said.

“I have placed her really well against the mares but you still have to step up and do the job.

“Last preparation I was holding her together every run and she had that tough preparation and she’s come back knowing what it is all about and full of confidence.”

Parker is well aware his mare, $31 with TAB on Thursday, will need all of that confidence to put herself in the finish of the Golden Eagle but he said everything that has happened in the lead up this week is positive.

She’ll jump from a middle barrier and if she gets the luck in running that all 20 runners will need he believes Hope In Your Heart can earn a nice cheque for connections and her charity Camp Quality who will receive 10 per cent.

Hope In Your Heart wins the Angst Stakes

“You’re in a different league now, she's in the deep end. There’s no hiding here,’’ Parker said.

“If she could run top half I’d be absolutely thrilled. We’re there to have a decent go and she’s going in the best we could have her.

“She’s drawn a nice barrier and all in all I’m happy with her, fingers crossed it works her way and she gets a nice run in transit.”

Meanwhile, Parker has his sights set on Tuesday’s $500,000 Little Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick with his consistent galloper Tampering.

The gelding was runner-up in the Bathurst Cup in September, which earned him eligibility, before finishing fifth behind Cisco Bay in the Wild Card at Randwick.

“He’s having a terrific preparation. It’s always hard for him to get into that next grade,’’ Parker said.

“His run in the Wild Card was terrific, he went to Bathurst and carried a big weight and ran second out there.

“This is the race we were aiming him for so it worked out perfect.”

And a quick word on Parker’s stable star and Queen Elizabeth Stakes champion Think It Over who is on the mend after a tendon injury forced him out of the spring.

“I’m happy with the way he’s going, all signs are positive and he’s doing very well,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Eagle meeting at Rosehill