Gong or gone? Our Gold Hope’s race against the clock

Robert and Luke Price hope to turn around the frustrating spring preparation of Our Gold Hope in The Gong at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

They face a nervous wait to see if Our Gold Hope can make the field as she is 23^rdon the order of entry for the $1 million race on their home track.

“Things just haven’t gone right for her all spring,” Luke Price said. “We just thought, let’s freshen her up and get her back home and see if she can’t get back to her best.”

“She is up to this class, she’s shown that in the past, but the big thing is getting her into the race, looking at the entries.”

There are a number of entries that look to be heading interstate and Our Gold Hope could sneak into the final field when it is drawn on Wednesday.

The Prices are the only Kembla trainers to win The Gong, taking out the third edition of the race with Count De Rupee in 2021, who had Brock Ryan in the saddle.

It will be the same combination for Our Gold Hope should she get a run on Saturday, where she may have a gear change.

“Brock got the job done for us before in this race, and he can limit weight of 53kg without a problem,” Price said.

“He has been on Our Gold Hope in the mornings and she has been a bit sharp, but I think we might put some visors or winkers on her just to sharpen her up.”

“It’s a trick that Joe Pride uses a bit just to get them focussed.”

“It is worth giving her a chance in The Gong because we had big hopes for her at the beginning of the spring and have been disappointed.”

Gringotts returns to The Gong as the defending champion as a Group 1 winner with the maximum top weight of 61kg and is the $2.30 favourite.