Dundeel mare strikes again at Randwick

Hope In Your Heart had already joined the list of Dundeel’s 18 stakeswinners when she lined up in Saturday’s $200,000 ATC Angst S. 1600m G3 and wasted no time claiming her second consecutive Group success.

Given a trouble-free run from barrier 11 by Everest-winning jockey Craig Williams, Hope In Your Heart was perfectly poised to strike at the top of the straight and sprinted hard to hold out the fast-finishing Honeycreeper.

Hope In Your Heart makes it 3 in a row thanks to a great ride from @CWilliamsJockey ! pic.twitter.com/KSejKyqxDV

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 15, 2022

The win sealed a good week for Dundeel whose 3YO son Elliptical became his 12th Group 1 performer when a close 2nd in the Caulfield Guineas G1 on 8 October.

Trainer Kerry Parker acknowledged Hope In Your Heart’s rapid progress this Spring. “She’s done a wonderful job, she’s come a long way.

“Last prep we pushed her into those three-year-old races and no doubt it’s helped her come on and be a more mature mare now…Absolutely thrilled to see her get the job done.”

With five wins and $410,000 on her record, Hope In Your Heart may next be seen in the $10 million Golden Eagle on 29 October at Rosehill.

Raced by her breeders Alex & Deidre Iles, she is the best of five city winners out of the Montjeu mare Hayaat (by Montjeu), whose third dam Valderna is the grand-dam of the great Champion sire Zabeel.

Rested in 2018 and 2019, Hayaat produced Hope In Your Heart’s three-quarter  brother, by Castelvecchio, in 2021.