Solid trial triumph, so the Journey continues
STAR Tasmanian four-yearold Mystic Journey had her final hitout in Devonport yesterday before embarking on a Victorian campaign that will climax in the W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in late October.
Mystic Journey won yesterday’s 800m trial narrowly but with some authority over dual Newmarket Handicap winner I’m Wesley, recording a time of 49.1 and she ran her last 600m in 34.11 seconds.
Trinder was pleased with the effort and confirmed the inaugural All-Star Mile winner was right on track to take on some of the best middle-distance horses in the world in the 2019 Cox Plate (2040m) on October 26.
“She is progressing well and today we just let her bowl along at the back of the field and deliver a very easy extension late,” Trinder said.
“She showed good determination, she was very fluent in her action and enthusiastic in her demeanour, so overall I am very pleased with where she’s placed for the start of her preparation.”
The mare’s first start this campaign will be in the Group 2 B.P. Lawrence Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield on Saturday week.
“This trial will tidy her up just nicely for her resumption race in 10 days’ time at Caulfield,” Trinder said.
Yesterday’s trial was to serve more as a “day-out” for the Australian Guineas winner.
“Winning the trial today was not a necessity but the outing was treated more as a day out for the horse and to just take a little bit of nervous energy away from her,” Trinder said.
“As we all know we had hoped to kick off her campaign in the Bletchingly [at Caulfield] two weeks ago.
“But we had to change plans because of an unsuitable track and that meant we had to take the foot off the accelerator and let her idle.
“She came to this trial with some nervous energy, so the hitout has served its purpose.”
Trinder said he would have liked a grass gallop, but with no suitable grass tracks available he opted to target yesterday’s trial on the synthetic and made it clear that having no grass tracks available has not impeded her Cox Plate preparation.
“We’ve got a fantastic Tapeta synthetic track here at Spreyton and she has won a Group 1 [Australian Guineas] and a $5 million All-Star Mile having been prepared here in Tasmania so there’s no knock on the facilities whatsoever.”
Where Mystic Journey races beyond the P.B. Lawrence will be determined on how she emerges from that race.
“She will be assessed after her first start in the Lawrence by (a) her performance and (b) her recovery as to whether she needs to back up in the Memsie Stakes [1400m] two weeks later or progress straight to the Makybe Diva [1600m] on September 14. There are plenty of options open to us, but we’ll just sit back and wait and see what unfolds after the Lawrence Stakes.” OSBORNE Bulls has put the pressure on his stable, Godolphin, to select him to run in their Everest slot after a stunning trial at Rosehill.
Trainer James Cummings said the Street Cry six-yearold “screamed up the middle of the track” from the back of the field yesterday to run fourth behind stablemate Wren’s Way over 900m.
Jockey Hugh Bowman said what impressed him most about Osborne Bulls was his quick getaway out of the gates.
He didn’t need to say too much about the final 400m as he cruised past much of the field to run half a length behind Wren’s Day.
“He trialled well,” Bowman said. “It was there for everyone to see what he did late.”
Osborne Bulls looks in prime shape to better his third placing in last year’s Everest, but he has run second five times in Group 1 races, unable to get the job done on the biggest stage.
He’s in a competition with Alizee for Godolphin’s slot, but punters have him as a $7 second favourite for the $13 million race at Randwick in October.
Alizee is set to resume in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) this Saturday at Rosehill and now it’s up to her to come out and win on the weekend to give Godolphin headaches as to who to select for their slot.
Group 1 winner Nature Strip was also in the Osborne Bulls heat and he wasn’t let loose when cuddled up on the rail to run 1½ lengths sixth.