Golden Horse Minerals continues to unlock significant high-grade gold mineralisation at its Hopes Hill project with new diamond and RC drilling results confirming both shallow and deep extensions. Regional drilling at Hakes Find and Marionete is underway, promising further insights.
- Diamond drilling confirms mineralisation over 110m below historic Hopes Hill pit
- Multiple wide, near-surface high-grade gold intersections at Hopes Hill North
- Regional drilling completed at Hakes Find; assays pending
- New 3,400m drilling program underway at Marionete/Star of Ennuin
- Aggressive +125km drill campaign with four rigs active
Exploration Momentum Builds at Hopes Hill
Golden Horse Minerals Limited (ASX: GHM) has reported encouraging results from its ongoing 2026 exploration campaign at the Hopes Hill gold project in Western Australia's prolific Southern Cross Greenstone Belt. The latest diamond drilling has confirmed high-grade gold mineralisation extending more than 110 metres below the historic Hopes Hill pit, which was mined to an average depth of 50 metres in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Hole 26HHDD002 returned 7.1 metres at 2.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 178.9 metres, including a high-grade 0.5 metre interval at 12.6 g/t. Further downhole, a 4 metre intersection grading 3.1 g/t from 243 metres reinforces the presence of robust mineralisation at depth. These diamond core samples are providing critical structural and assay data to refine the geological model and target further extensions.
Shallow High-Grade Zones at Hopes Hill North
Meanwhile, reverse circulation (RC) drilling at Hopes Hill North has delivered multiple wide, near-surface gold intersections, highlighting the prospectivity of this zone. Notable results include 16 metres at 1.6 g/t from 32 metres, 8 metres at 1.9 g/t from 40 metres, and 12 metres at 1.0 g/t from 60 metres. These intercepts extend the mineralisation envelope more than 700 metres north of the existing pit, suggesting potential for open pit extensions.
Geological interpretations indicate possible fault-related dislocations affecting mineralisation continuity, with ongoing step-out drilling designed to test for offset or repeat lodes. The combination of RC and diamond drilling rigs allows Golden Horse to simultaneously target shallow, high-grade zones and deeper plunge extensions along the 2.5-kilometre mineralised strike length.
Regional Drilling Advances at Hakes Find and Marionete
Beyond Hopes Hill, Golden Horse has completed a 3,350-metre RC drilling program at the nearby Hakes Find prospect, located just 5 kilometres south of Southern Cross. This program aimed to test shallow extensions and strike continuity of known gold and silver mineralisation, with assay results expected shortly.
The company has now mobilised its RC rig to the Marionete/Star of Ennuin area for a ~3,400-metre drilling campaign. This region is historically significant, with past production of approximately 750,000 ounces of gold at an exceptional grade of 24 g/t. The 2025 drilling program at Marionete yielded impressive intercepts, including 10 metres at 6.8 g/t from 5 metres and 1 metre at 37.5 g/t from 14 metres, underscoring the potential for further high-grade discoveries.
Looking Ahead: Aggressive Drilling and Resource Growth
Golden Horse Managing Director Nicholas Anderson expressed optimism about the ongoing campaign, noting the high productivity of four active rigs and the substantial backlog of samples now being processed. The company’s strategy focuses on aggressively testing conceptual open pit extensions and deeper high-grade zones, with plans to expand drilling to Hopes Hill South and other regional targets in the coming weeks.
Core logging, assaying, and geological modelling remain underway, with resource estimation anticipated as further results are received. The combination of shallow wide intercepts and deeper high-grade zones positions Hopes Hill as a compelling exploration asset within the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt.
Bottom Line?
As Golden Horse pushes deeper and wider at Hopes Hill, the next tranche of assay results will be pivotal in defining the project’s scale and economic potential.
Questions in the middle?
- How will pending assay results from Hakes Find influence regional exploration priorities?
- What impact might fault-related dislocations have on resource continuity at Hopes Hill North?
- When can investors expect a formal resource update incorporating the latest drilling data?