Mystic waits on weather
A DECISION on whether star Tasmanian mare Mystic Journey takes her place in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday will depend on the state of the track.
Mystic Journey resumed from a long spell in the P. B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield two weeks ago and was eighth in a field of 12 on a rain-affected track and over four lengths from the winner Savatiano, who also will contest the Memsie.
However, trainer Adam Trinder was pleased enough with the effort given it was on ground to which his mare was unsuited, and she also was forced to race wide throughout and much of that without cover.
“If the ground is unsuitable (worse than a soft 5), she definitely won’t run on Saturday and if that happens, we will have to focus on the Makybe Diva a fortnight later,” Trinder said.
With drying conditions expected in Victoria on Thursday and Friday, the Melbourne Racing Club expects a surface not worse than a soft 5, which would give Mystic Journey a chance to prove she is back in Group 1 mode.
Mystic Journey is in the care of Peter Moody at Pakenham while campaigning in Victoria and in-form jockey Billy Egan, who partnered the mare for the first time in the P. B. Lawrence, stays with
Mystic Journey on Saturday.
“I thought she ran well (in the Lawrence Stakes) but just struggled with the soft 6 ground and I think she will benefit a lot fitness-wise from that run,” Egan said.
Mystic Journey has won 11 of her 19 starts and each time Anthony Darmanin has been aboard, but he was replaced because he lacked race-riding fitness, an anomaly that has since been rectified.
If Mystic Journey can’t fund a suitable track on Saturday then the Makybe Diva, a race in which she finished second last season, is the only logical option as she tracks towards either the Cox Plate or the Group 1 Empire Rose for fillies and mares over 1600m on VRC Derby Day.
The Scott Brunton-trained Mandela Effect remains on track to line up in the Chandler McLeod over 1200m at Flemington on Saturday week to kickstart his Cox Plate campaign.
Mandela Effect will then go to the Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Flemington a fortnight later before tackling the Toorak over 1600m at Caulfield, which is his first main mission.
Two of Mandela Effect’s stablemates also will campaign in Victoria with The Inevitable tackling either the Bobby Lewis Stakes on September 12 or a later open handicap at Caulfield and Hellova Street aiming for the Chatham Stakes at Flemington on November 7.