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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Kerry Parker has Group 1 ambitions this carnival for his quiet achiever Hope In Your Heart and he’d very much like her to be the horse to bust the ghost that haunts him when he thinks about the Doncaster Mile.

Trainer Kerry Parker (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The four-year-old had a breakthrough spring campaign that netted two Group 3 wins and outstanding performances in defeat in the Golden Eagle and The Gong.

Hope In Your Heart has just 50.5kg in the Doncaster Mile but Parker’s first aim, as she returns in the Group 2 $250,000 Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbreds Stakes (1400m) is next month’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic.

“She had a really good preparation, she ran some gallant races in some tough contests,’’ Parker said.

“She stepped up from mares grade and held her own running fourth in the Eagle and second in the Gong.

“She spelled really well and has come back stronger and fingers crossed we can turn that into a bit more strength on race day.”

Parker’s star galloper Think It Over was a race day scratching when favourite in the 2021 Doncaster Mile and the Kembla Grange trainer wonders to this day what might have been.

Of course the gelding returned last year and claimed a bigger prize, the Group 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Hope In Your Heart, $3.20 favourite with TAB on Thursday for her kick off, is currently $51 in the $4m The Star Doncaster Mile, run on April 1.

“She’ll go to the Coolmore Classic second-up, I think realistically it’s the right plan but she holds that nomination in the Doncaster,” he said.

“I feel like it’s a race that haunts me a little bit after what happened with Think It Over.”

The mare has trialled twice in the lead up to the Guy Walter and Parker said he didn’t want to pressure her in the first given the speedy opposition but was well pleased with her second hit out.

“I just wanted a little canter around (in her first trial) and when you’re lining up against Nature Strip you just make sure you don’t bust her,’’ he said.

“Artorius was put under the pump to be ridden on the speed the other day and I was really happy with her trial, I thought she hit the line very good.

“She’s given every sign she’s back and well. You need that box ticked when you go back to the races to let you know you’ve improved that grade, which she'll need to.

“It’s always good to know the good ones are back and if they’re back in good form it’s excellent.”

Hope In Your Heart runs second in The Gong

Meanwhile, Parker is aiming for a spring comeback for Think It Over as he continues his rehabilitation from a tendon injury that has kept the rising eight-year-old out of racing this season.

“All the signs are good for him, I’m just aiming up at the spring with him,’’ he said.

“We’ll take our time and give him every chance to come back. If he doesn’t come back then he goes out on top as a Queen Elizabeth winner.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting