Rocky return for gun mare
THE second wave of coronavirus occurring in Victoria has played a hand in Tasmanian trainer Adam Trinder being forced to restructure plans for stable star Mystic Journey’s long-awaited return to racing.
Mystic Journey has had only one start since finishing fifth in last year’s Cox Plate in October and that was for a fast-finishing fifth of 11 in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes over 1200m at Moonee Valley in late March.
The four-year-old mare was to resume racing in this Saturday’s Bletchingly Stakes, but that plan has been shelved and the mare will now be aimed at the B. P. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield (1400m) next month.
Trinder says he had hoped to travel with the mare for her interstate assignments, but he is now resigned to the fact that those arrangements will not be possible.
“Up to about 10 days ago I was quite confident we’d be able to travel ... by jumping through a few hoops to make that happen but given the situation in Victoria now I’m reasonable sure that me travelling with the mare won’t come to fruition in the next 28 days,” Trinder said.
“Conditions for travel is changing daily but somehow I can’t see things working in our favour this time around.”
Mystic Journey will trial on her home track at Devonport this morning and again in a fortnight before embarking in her next trip across Bass Strait.
“(The horse) goes to the Lawrence Stakes having had two trials at Devonport and I feel that is enough for her first-up tilt over 1400 metres.
“I’m hopeful everything will work out as we plan, and she will then go to the Group 1 Memsie Stakes over 1400 metres at Caulfield at the end of next month.”
Trinder has not discounted another crack at the Cox Plate over 2040m, despite having said previously he would be more inclined to restrict the mare to races up to 1600 metres this time in.
“We are open-minded as far as where we go with her beyond the Memsie Stakes. She will hold a Cox Plate entry, but we also have the Makybe Diva over 1600m at Flemington directly after the Memsie and we know how dynamic she is over that trip (1600m).
“I just have to work out in my mind whether the Cox Plate or the Empire Rose (1600m) is our main target this preparation.”
The $1 million Group 1 Empire Rose is a weight-forage race for fillies and mares run over 1600m at Flemington on October 31.
“There is a possibility that Mystic Journey could run in both the Cox Plate and Empire Rose because she is versatile enough to drop back from 2040m to 1600m and still be very effective but we’ll just wait and see in how the early part plays out.”
Trinder is also sending his talented three-year-old filly Mystical Pursuit to Melbourne as a travelling companion for her three-quarter sister. “Mystical Pursuit will also make the trip to Melbourne with two trials under her belt and it will be interesting to see where she fits into the big picture over there.” if the campaign