MARES BIG ODDS FOR RESPECTIVE ROSEHILL ASSIGNMENTS

TALENTED Hawkesbury mare Lady Extreme will wind up a successful campaign, and connections haven’t lost faith in fellow mare, Kembla Grange’s Group 1 placegetter Our Gold Hope.

That was the news this morning from respective trainers Blake Ryan and Luke Price about their representatives at tomorrow’s Rosehill Gardens meeting.

Lady Extreme chases a fourth city win this preparation in the Group 3 The Nivison (1200m) against her own sex, and last year’s Queensland Oaks runner-up Our Gold Hope looks to bounce back in the $2m Group 2 Hill Stakes (1900m) at weight-for-age.

Lady Extreme was an acceptor for last Saturday’s Benchmark 94 Handicap (1200m) at Royal Randwick’s Epsom Handicap fixture, but has been kept for The Nivison.

“The mare’s Melbourne owner Luke Wilkinson was keen to have a crack at The Nivison to try to get black type on her pedigree page,” Ryan explained.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy, especially drawing wide.

“However she races really well at Rosehill (three wins from five starts), and appreciates her runs being spaced (Lady Extreme overcame another wide gate when she won a 1200m Benchmark 88 Handicap there on August 30).

“Win, lose or draw she is going for a well-earned break after this race.

“She has been up for long time and done a terrific job, winning three Saturday races in town (all at Rosehill) in May, June and August.”

Regan Bayliss will be a new rider for Lady Extreme in The Nivison, with regular partner Jay Ford continuing a successful association with rival In Flight, on whom he has won four races, including the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) at Randwick in June.

“Jay was booked to ride Lady Extreme last week, but there was some uncertainty about which race we were going to,” Ryan said.

Lady Extreme’s stablemate Strawberry Impact (Tommy Berry) comes to town for another shot at a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m).

“We’ve struck a pretty decent race,” Ryan said.

“Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Jack Pilkington’s Alabama State and Modella (coming back from seventh in the Group 2 Golden Pendant) are going to be hard to beat.

“Strawberry Impact has been runner-up at both starts this time in at Hawkesbury, and I wish he had drawn a bit softer tomorrow.

“Just the same, I feel he can run well.”

Luke Price, who trains Our Gold Hope (Tyler Schiller) in partnership with his father Rob, says the mare’s latest defeat (ninth to Waterford in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes, 1500m at Rosehill a fortnight ago) can be overlooked.

“Tyler probably pushed the button a bit early, and we were clearly the widest runner on the home turn,” he said.

“Definitely she should have been closer at the finish.

“We haven’t lost sight of her goal, which has been the Hill Stakes all along.”

Lady Extreme on Friday morning was at $41 with TAB.com.au for The Nivison, and Our Gold Hope was listed at $101 for her Hill mission.

Story John Curtis, October 10, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos