OUR GOLD HOPE READY TO GET BACK ON TRACK

CLASSY Kembla Grange mare Our Gold Hope will begin a new campaign at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

And co-trainer Luke Price, encouraged by a couple of factors, believes she can recapture the form which saw her almost snare the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm in the winter of 2024.

Our Gold Hope hasn’t won for two years (a Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1400m against her own sex at Hawkesbury on February 13, 2024) but has been place on six occasions; a number of them in black type company.

Such as the Queensland Oaks (2200m), Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m), Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick, and Group 2 Neville Sellwood (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Our Gold Hope was placed only once in six starts last campaign, but Price says the now five-year-old grey mare is going well leading into her weekend resumption.

“Our Gold Hope had forgot how to win, and Tommy Berry made sure she knew how to do it again when she took a 1200m Warwick Farm barrier trial (defeating Magic Millions Sprint winner Axius) on February 16,” Price said today.

“Tommy will be on her again in Saturday’s Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbred Stakes at Randwick.”

Our Gold Hope has 55kg in the Group 2 1400m feature for fillies and mares.

Whilst Our Gold Hope has been out of the winning list for a long time, Price says the mare is in great knick.

“I think she can bounce back this campaign,” he said. “The breed (her sire is Lope De Vega) get better with age.

“We put in an entry for the Group 1 Queen of the Turf (1600m) at Randwick on April 11, but Autumn Glow (unbeaten mare) is likely to go there.

“All going well, Our Gold Hope will run in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) against her pown sex at Rosehill Gardens on March 28, and we’ll see where go after that with her.”

Stablemate Aisle Two is heading for the $250,000 Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) at home on March 13, with Team Price hoping she can go one better than Our Gold Hope in the 2024 edition.

Lightly-raced Aisle Two won a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1200m) first-up at home on January 28 (defeating subsequent winner Starinion), and then ran well on debut in town when runner-up to Caesar in a 3YO Benchmark 64 Handicap (1250m) at the Canterbury night meeting on February 13.

The three-year-old daughter of Shooting To Win is an acceptor for the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow, with Adam Hyeronimus on board.

“She needs another run leading into the Kembla Grange Classic, and will start either tomorrow or at home next Tuesday,” Luke Price said.

“It might be hard to bypass the Rosehill race as a couple are going to come out.”

Fellow Kembla Grange trainer Anthony Mountney was the lone local to be successful at his home track meeting today.

Mountney won the Super Maiden Plate (1300m) with $12 chance Duck For Cover (Robyn Freeman), who upset hotpot Buckeye ($1.35) after a good battle in the straight.

A six-year-old gelding by Group 1 winner The Mission, Duck For Cover remarkably was having only his second start.

He debuted when fourth to Maquisa in another Super Maiden (1200m) at home on February 7 when beaten just over a length.

. Newcastle’s Nathan Doyle was the sole provincial trainer to hit the scoreboard at Scone today.

Doyle’s Lonhro filly Regal Force ($1.75 favorite) broke through in the Maiden Plate (1000m) after seconds at her first two starts at Scone (January 29) and Gosford (February 11).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, FEBRUARY 24, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS