10m at 4.7 g/t Gold Found 175m Below Historic Hopes Hill Pit Floor

Deep Drilling Reveals New Footwall Gold Zone

Golden Horse Minerals Limited (ASX – GHM) has delivered a compelling update from its Hopes Hill gold project in Western Australia’s Southern Cross region. Recent reverse circulation drilling beneath the historic Hopes Hill pit has uncovered a standout intercept of 10 metres grading 4.7 grams per tonne gold, located some 175 metres below the pit floor. This discovery points to a previously unrecognised footwall mineralised zone within the sheared ultramafic rocks, expanding the known extent of the gold system.

The drilling campaign, comprising four new holes targeting the central zone, has reinforced the continuity and tenor of mineralisation at depth. The results complement a series of earlier wide, high-grade intercepts along the 1.3-kilometre strike of the historic pit, underscoring the potential for a substantial resource beneath the surface.

Expanding Exploration Capacity

Golden Horse’s Managing Director, Nicholas Anderson, expressed optimism about the project’s trajectory. He highlighted the significance of the deep intercepts as evidence of a large gold system and announced plans to ramp up drilling activity. Supported by a recent successful capital raising and a grant from the Western Australian Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme, the company intends to increase reverse circulation drilling by approximately 50% and introduce a diamond core rig to provide detailed geological insights.

This enhanced drilling capacity aims to test the mineralisation at greater depths and along strike, while also refining the geological model to support future resource estimation. The company’s approach balances aggressive exploration with careful assay verification, including the use of screen-fire assays to address coarse gold variability observed in samples.

Promising Results at Irene Betty Prospect

In addition to Hopes Hill, Golden Horse reported encouraging assay results from the nearby Irene Betty prospect, located just 600 metres south. This site features a high-grade quartz reef historically mined to shallow depths. Recent drilling has returned assays up to 8.32 grams per tonne gold over one metre intervals, confirming the presence of near-surface mineralisation that remains open along strike and at depth.

The company is awaiting further assay results from screen-fire testing to better quantify coarse gold content and plans to expand drilling along the more than two-kilometre mineralised trend that Irene Betty forms part of. This parallel target could significantly enhance the overall project’s resource potential.

Looking Ahead

Golden Horse’s methodical exploration program, bolstered by strong shareholder support and government funding, positions the company well to delineate a robust gold resource in a prolific mining district. The combination of deep high-grade intercepts and near-surface targets offers multiple avenues for growth. As drilling intensifies and assay data accumulates, the market will be watching closely for updates that could redefine the scale and economics of the Hopes Hill project.