Sydney trip for Gold Hope?

Press, 29 March 1982, Page 20

Sydney trip for Gold Hope?

Special correspondent Auckland First thoughts of the Gold Hope camp after their success in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha on Saturday were directed at Sydney, where the stable's other big winner, Prince Majestic, will now certainly be going on Wednesday. The big Sydney race which Gold Hope’s owners, Messrs Tony and Richard Hodgkinson, had in mind was the Doncaster Handicap, a 1600 m at Rankwick on Saturday week with a first prize of 585,000 cash and $7OO in trophies. Takanini’s Ray Verner, who trains both Gold Hope and Prince Majestic, gave the suggestion plenty of attention and had not, yesterday, dismissed the idea. It was unlikely, he thought, that Gold Hope could be accommodated on the flight with Prince Majestic. If she undertook the trip it would probably not be until next week. Alternatives in Gold Hope’s programme would be the Easter Handicap, at Ellerslie on April 10 and. with her safely through that one, the Japan-New Zealand Trophy which the Bay of Plenty Racing Club will stage on April 24. The best sprinting filly of 1980-81, Gold Hope was a while showing form again this season but through no fault of her own. A virus infection dealt severely with her during the spring and she was afterwards troubled by a hind joint. It was not until her sixth attempt, this time up, that she won, at Ellerslie on March 6. This was her seventh race of the season following the Galilee Stakes at Te Awamutu in which she went much too keenly to have a chance of being in the finish. Only the careful attention of her handlers got Gold Hope through her troubles of the spring and she had, on Saturday, the considerable assistance of some expert riding by David Peake. Peake, who is the regular race rider, had Gold Hope .travelling smoothly on the 1 outside of Bound To Honour

and within easy distance of the leaders, Starska and Olene, coming to the home turn. He somehow found a way through for her on the inside around the bend and had her in front with around 20(Jm to go. Valencia looked a real threat when she challenged soon afterwards and seemed likely to win a little further on but Gold Hope held her gamely through the last few strides and won by a head. Ghia was on Valencia’s quarters in third place with Olene (fourth) just about alongside. Glamour Bay, fifth, and Orchidra, sixth were about together next, clear of Alley Oop and Sequita, the next two home. Glamour Bay was a warm favourite but unable to raise the necessary speed in the finish. It might be, as her trainer, Fred Beguely thinks possible, that she needs more distance. That seems to be the case with Orchidra, which ran on but too late. Bound To Honour was well below her best form when coming in with only a couple behind her. There seemed no explanation for her going so badly; she was beaten a long way from the finish. Gold Hope ran the 1600 m in Imin 345, a full second faster than Orchidra’s time last year and two-tenths of a second inside the previous best for the race, set by Tudor Light in 1976. which was also the Te Aroha course record. Gold Hope is raced by the Hodgkinsons, father and son, on a lease