Just Hope chases a Bathurst Gold Tiara-Bracelet double as Bathurst rivals chase an upset

Higgs will of course hope that the filly to do that will be his own runner, Silk Cloud, who goes out from gate three in her bid to try and stop Just Hope from claiming the Gold Tiara-Bracelet double in back-to-back years.

Silk Cloud was brave in defeat during last year's Gold Tiara, running third behind Russell Jack's duo of Just Hope and Captains Queen, and Higgs believes he's got his filly looking as strong as ever heading into Friday's $100,000 race.

However, the Bathurst trainer believes even the best from his filly won't be enough to stop Jack's 2021 tiara champion if Just Hope is racing at her best.

"If Just Hope brings her A-game then we can't beat her," he said.

"There's horses in there that go really good but then again, so does mine. I'm not knocking my filly, I know that Just Hope will lead this and be very hard to stop."

On paper the race looks to big a battle of two between Just Hope and the filly she narrowly beat in the recent NSW Oaks, Madrid.

The pair will start from the outside of the front row for the final.

Will Rixon has the drive on Silk Cloud - his first start with Higgs' filly.

Higgs has an idea of how the start could play out but knows anything is possible.

"She's going to be odds-on and is just a super horse. We've drawn three, so we're not too bad. One would have obviously been better, but you can't whinge too much about that draw. My filly will go good and be thereabouts," he said.

"She's great at the moment and don't think she's been better, so finger's crossed.

"I think the one horse [Captains Queen] will do its best to hold us out and then will probably take the sit on Just Hope. If we're outside the leader then Madrid will likely come across, and Just Hope obviously won't let her go.

"We could be in a good spot, on paper, but it doesn't work out like that all the time. I think we're in with a chance of being in a good spot."

Silk Cloud ran a close third in her Gold Bracelet heat, finishing as part of a leading trio with Just Hope and Soho Rhapsody who beat the rest of their field by almost 30 metres.

Just Hope wasn't urged to hit top gear by Nathan Jack in the gig and was still able to produce a cracking mile rate of 1:52.5.

Silk Cloud's individual performance in that race was strong enough to beat her own personal best winning mile rate of 1:53.5 with ease.

Higgs said he's been blown away by the quality of fillies coming through in this age group.

"They went 52 in the heat and that is out of this world. My individual mile rate was 1:52.8. It blows me away with the times they're running," he said.

"If you equate that to a run at Menangle she's probably broken 50. It's crazy.

"I do feel there's probably not as much pressure on my filly this year. Last year she drew six and Just Hope drew two and I remember thinking 'What hope have we got?' and we had to go back and didn't have much luck there but still ran third.

"They went 54 in that final and my filly got beaten 20m ... and now 52 and lost by four metres. I think this year she's a good top three hope, maybe top two if Madrid has to do extra work."

Silk Cloud is one of two Bathurst-trained hopes in the final, with Steve Turnbull's Pas De Cheval going out from the back row.

The 2021 Gold Tiara Gold Consolation winner was just a head away from Captains Queen in her heat but will be tested by the second row start in the finale.

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