Trinder confident of his star
TASMANIAN filly Mystic Journey made quite an impression when she scored an emphatic win at Caulfield last start and today at Moonee Valley she has the chance to confirm her status as a potential Group winning three-year-old.
Mystic Journey will line up in the Aquis Farm Fillies Classic over 1600m, in which she is a firm favourite on the strength of her last-start victory over 1400m at Caulfield.
Mystic Journey must meet all of her rivals at set weights (57kg), but the Tasmanian filly’s trainer Adam Trinder has great faith in his stable star’s ability.
“We had an idea that this filly was capable of winning away from home and she has proven that in the way she has performed in all of her assignments over here [Melbourne],” Trinder said. “Her win last start at Caulfield was very impressive and she gives me the impression she will really appreciate stepping up to the 1600m.
“I gave the filly a strong gallop on the grass at Mowbray last week and that will have topped her off nicely for this race. She has travelled really well over to Melbourne, so she is raring to go for this assignment. They are all hard to beat when we get to this level of racing, especially previous Group 1 winners, but I couldn’t be happier on the eve of the race.”
El Dorado Dreaming from the powerful NSW stable of Kris Lees will be one of the main contenders, but comes off losses at her first two starts this campaign in Group races and she is already starting to give the impression she is looking for ground beyond 1600m.
The David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernigtrained Fundamentalist was second to Amphitrite last start in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), beaten a long neck, which has her second favourite at $5.
Mystic Journey’s jockey Anthony Darmanin believes Fundamentalist represents his main danger.
The Victorian-based jockey will go into the race with a few plans.
“In these sort of races you pretty much have to have plans A, B and C, because you can never be quite sure of what to do until the gates have opened, but I’m fairly sure we will go forward to find a spot and not be cluttered up. I’m quietly confident I’m on the right horse to win the race.”