SID and TRISH are ready to spring into action!
That’s the stable names for Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker’s stars, better known of course as Think It Over and Hope In Your Heart.
The former is going great on the comeback trail, and the latter is also going well in another campaign which is being aimed at hopefully following in Think It Over’s hoofbeats and achieving Group 1 glory this spring.
Last season’s Champion Provincial Horse Think It Over had an exhibition gallop between races at home last Thursday, whilst Hope In Your Heart pleased her trainer this morning in a 900m Group trial on the Warwick Farm course proper.
Rising eight-year-old Think It Over has been off the scene since Nash Rawiller’s daring move to skirt the outside rail on a ‘Heavy 10’ surface at Royal Randwick in April last year during The Championships landed him a $41 triumph in the $4m Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
An off-fore tendon injury subsequently sidelined him, but he came through a lengthy rehab and Parker has given him a steady build-up since bringing him back to his Kembla barn in April.
“Think It Over had a 798m trial at Warwick Farm earlier in the month to stretch his legs, and Nash rode him in the exhibition gallop here last Thursday,” Parker said this afternoon.
“I think Nash blew harder afterwards than Think It Over. It was the first time he had been on a horse in five weeks, and only got back to Sydney the previous night from a fishing trip up north.
“He was happy to come to Kembla to ride him in the gallop, and was over the moon with him.
“I intend giving Think It Over a second trial at Warwick Farm on Friday week, and then he will be ready to go back to the races.”
That will be in the $1m Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), to be run at weight-for-age at Royal Randwick on August 19.
“I’m really happy with Think It Over,” Parker said. “Whilst he is rising eight, he has had only 35 starts.
“Our main Sydney aim is the new race, the $5m King Charles III Stakes over the Randwick ‘mile’ on October 14.
“All going well, he will go to Melbourne for the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight later.”
Whilst Parker is thrilled with 12-times winner and $7m plus earner Think It Over, he is also looking forward to Hope In Your Heart’s spring campaign.
The rising five-year-old mare has already won six races and earned $1.63m, and was superb in four Sydney appearances (three of them in Group 1s) in autumn.
She won the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) first-up against her own sex at Randwick on February 25 before finishing fourth in both the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 11 and Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 1.
Hope In Your Heart rounded off her campaign by finishing second a week later in the Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at the same track.
The daughter of Dundeel finished fourth (Group 1 winners Mo’unga and Hinged were behind her) in this morning’s trial, and Parker said the mare’s regular rider Tim Clark was very happy with her.
“It was a lovely little gallop, and she will trial again in a few weeks and resume in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 2,” he added.
“Our main target with Hope In Your Heart is the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) there on September 30, and of course we have the option of going to Melbourne after that.
“She has come back a bit stronger, and hopefully that will help her improve even a little bit more this time.”
. HOOFNOTE: Whilst Think It Over is known as Sid around the stable, Hope In Your Heart got her name as her older half-brother Tampering (who has won seven races) is known as Patrick.
‘So we called her Patricia, or Trish for short,” Parker explained.
*Words John Curtis, July 24, 2023 - Pics Bradley Photos*
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