Mystic Journey (Image: Racing Photos)
The $1 million Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at the end of August might be the feature race to be dropped off the spring campaign of Mystic Journey as connections plot a course to the Cox Plate.
Trainer Adam Trinder said on Monday that Mystic Journey’s first-up assignment in the G2 Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 17 would ultimately decide whether the inaugural All-Star Mile winner returns to Caulfield for the Memsie two weeks later.
The Cox Plate favourite was to begin her spring campaign last weekend at Caulfield in the Bletchingly Stakes.
While Trinder is pleased he did not run Mystic Journey in the Bletchingly, the missed run has narrowed his time frame to give her the perfect preparation into October’s $5 million feature at The Valley.
"I am really comfortable that she did bypass the Bletchingly," Trinder said on Monday.
"I thought the ground was quite testing and it wouldn’t have been a suitable start point for her.
"She’ll head to the Lawrence. That will give us more clarity as to what our next steps are.
"Unfortunately, by missing the Bletchingly, we fall into a fortnight routine with her should she run in the Memsie (August 31) and then the Makybe Diva (September 14).
"So, we’ll know off the back of the Lawrence as to whether she needs to run in the Memsie. It’s a race that we may bypass, or we may diversify in travel plans with her."
Mystic Journey has been travelling on the Spirit Of Tasmania to Melbourne from Tasmania a few days prior to each of her Melbourne races and then returned home on the boat a day or two afterwards.
However if she was to keep her date with the Memsie, it is expected Trinder would not return to Tasmania after the race and instead keep her in Melbourne for the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes over the same Flemington course as the All-Star Mile and Australian Guineas.
She could then either return for the G1 Underwood Stakes (September 29) at Caulfield or wait a further week for the G1 Turnbull Stakes (October 5) at Flemington, which would give her another three weeks to the G1 Cox Plate (October 26).