Kerry Parker expecting a solid run from Hope In Your Heart in the Epsom

The five year-old mare will face a stacked field including eight Chris Waller runners and a number of other strong competitors.

Whilst Parker acknowledged that it would be a great test, he was confident of a positive showing.

"I think she'll run really well," he told the Mercury.

"She's prepped into it really good. So fingers crossed she gets a bit of luck in running and she won't be far away. I took her to Sydney at the Rosehill trials and put blinkers on her there.

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"They're Group 1 races, they're not easy to win. But you can only do your best to get them ready and hope it goes right for you and you're good enough."

Parker said the experience of jockey Craig Williams would benefit Hope In Your Heart.

"He's ridden her before, he's won a race on her before," he said.

"You're always good to have those guys on. He knows his way around the Randwick mile he's won the last couple for the Doncaster on Mr Brightside. He's won plenty of these races. Always happy to have blokes with his experience on board, that's for sure."

Hope In Your Heart was valued at $8.50 via Bet365 on Thursday morning. She will start from barrier 10. She is amongst the favourites with The Inevitable ($6.50), Nugget ($8) and Kovalica ($9) the major threats along with Parker's runner.

The Royal Randwick track is current rated as a good 4.

There will be a number of Kembla trainers involved in in the Midway Handicap (race one) at Randwick. Parker himself will have Jessandi and Single Crown running, Robert and Luke Price have Verbek and Extreme Freedom, Ben Smith has Whisky Wisdom and Joe Ible will have Patrika Mist.

Meanwhile Parker's winner in the million dollar 7 Stakes Think It Over is being prepared for the upcoming King Charles Stakes Group 1 (1600m) at Randwick on Everest day on October 14.

Think It Over finished strongly, running over Annabel Neasham's Zaaki late in the fold. The victory was an emotional one for Parker, after Think It Over suffered a career-threatening tendon injury in the lead up to spring 2022 which saw him out for over a year.

Following the victory in the 7 Stakes, Parker revealed to Sky Racing that it was the plan to rest up before the King Charles.

"He'll have four weeks now and then come into the King Charles then. The plan was to always give him these three runs, make sure we got his fitness up and then it was just a matter of if he could go into the King Charles fresh then that would be super."

Parker said that Think It Over was tracking along nicely for the race.

"He's come through really well," he said.

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"He's really enjoying his racing. He's off to the King Charles on the 14^th [of October]. He'll have a barrier trial on Tuesday at Rosehill just to tick him over.

"It's one thing to come back and be competitive in these races, which was the first tick but winning one was what it was all about. It definitely makes it all worthwhile, to get him back to the top shelf and to win a million dollar race."

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