Craig Kerry
Kembla Grange trainer Robert Price is counting on Our Gold Hope producing another storming finish on Tancred Stakes day as promising filly Aisle Two has a crack at group 1 level.
Our Gold Hope flashed home in last year’s group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes on the same Rosehill program to finish just behind group 1 winners Ceolwulf and Just Fine in a thrilling three-way photo.
The now five-year-old mare, the 2024 Queensland Oaks runner-up, has since been unable to better that result and was four-lengths ninth in the group 3 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) when first-up on March 7 at Randwick.
Price, who trains in partnership with son, Luke, nominated Our Gold Hope for Saturday’s group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) but opted for the benchmark 88 handicap (1400m) to chase a much-needed win.
“As you saw that day, when she just got beat by Ceolwulf, she’s good enough to leg it with those horses when the set up is right,” Price said.
“She’s one of my favourite horses in the stable. She’s just a machine, but just needs luck and she hasn’t had a lot.
“In those mares races coming through, they just walk for the first half, we get back in those races and all of a sudden, they come home in 33s. Mathematically, she can’t perform like that and she’s been a victim of that a bit.
“They did that the other day in the Epona, there’s no speed and that’s what happens.
“We’ll go to the benchmark 88 and avoid those good mares. Once we get to 2000m, you don’t mind taking the boys on.
“We just want to find some form, go up to a trip and see where we sit.”
The Prices will have a shot at a feature on Saturday with Aisle Two, which will contest the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 2000m from gate eight of nine.
A daughter of Shooting To Win, Aisle Two had two unplaced runs as a two-year-old but has returned in fine form a year older.
She had two thirds then a super maiden win at Kembla in the spring before winning again there first-up over 1200m. A second at Canterbury over 1250m and victory at Rosehill over 1500m set up a shot at the group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m), where she presented to win at the 200m before finish fifth, a length and a quarter away.
Price said she had excuses last start when bumped sideways late and had recovered well for the step up in distance and class.
“Everything has fallen into place to have a crack at a race like this,” he said.
“She probably hasn’t got a pedigree to go 2000, I suppose, but a whole pile of them haven’t got that.
“She’s in really good order and I think she was a bit stiff at Kembla the other day. She incurred a bit of interference in the running. If she gets a nice run in transit, I’m hoping for a top-five finish.
“We looked after her [at two]. We shelved her in view of going to the Kembla Grange Classic. Her run was good and we were possibly going to spell her, but she’s come through it good.”
Both Price runners were $34 (TAB).
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