Mystic Journey won well at The Valley (Image: Racing Photos)
Mystic Journey's victory in Saturday's Group 2 Aquis Farm Fillies Classic (1600m) at The Valley was a lucrative reward for the loyalty and patience of trainer Adam Trinder.
The Tasmanian horseman could've easily been tempted into running the filly in the G1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) after her recent win in the Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) but instead opted to prioritise her welfare and give her five weeks into Cox Plate Day feature.
And there were several opportunities to replace regular pilot Anthony Darmanin - a jockey who doesn't boast the CV of the likes of Bowman, Oliver and McEvoy - with another rider but Trinder stuck fat.
All that made for an emotional winner's stall after the daughter of Needs Further kicked clear around the turn to score a dominant win over Fundamentalist and El Dorado Dreaming in the $200,000 race.
"She was fantastic," Trinder said.
"We bypassed the Group 1 (Thousand Guineas) but we're more than satisfied with the Group 2 on Cox Plate Day.
"He (Anthony Darmanin) is our senior jockey, he does all of our riding.
"There was a temptation to go with a big name but he has got a good understanding of her and he's done nothing wrong so we elected to stay with Anthony.
"She was strong and solid through the line and it's easy to say after the fact but whilst she was three-deep without cover she continued to build into the race and I grew in confidence the more they went."
WATCH: Hear from Trinder
Trinder confirmed Mystic Journey would be spelled before an autumn campaign where the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m), the G2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) and the G1 Australian Guineas (1600m) appear logical targets.
WATCH: Mystic Journey's win