Journey to another G1 for Tas mare?

There may be no Cox Plate attempt this spring, but Mystic Journey could be well on the way to another Group 1 triumph after finding her true form in Friday night's Stock Stakes at The Valley.

The victory at $6.50 was her third at G2 level and the mare is now likely to attempt to match her G1 Australian Guineas victory with a likely tilt at the $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 31.

Mystic Journey, who finished fifth in last year's Cox Plate, was nominated for the $5m race again this year but was not paid-up for at the first declaration stage.

The Tasmanian mare, who was also the inaugural winner of The All-Star Mile, had not won a race since her P.B. Lawrence Stakes victory at Caulfield in August last year, but she bounced back to form after a moderate beginning to her campaign by scoring a narrow victory over quality Perth mare Perfect Jewel ($2.50 fav).

WATCH: Mystic Journey's win

It was jockey Luke Currie's first ride on Mystic Journey, but he explained after the race that his connection with trainer Adam Trinder - a former star jumps rider - goes back a long way.

"I'm really happy to ride a winner for Adam - we've been mates for years," Currie said. "I was just saying we used to ride in the Northern Hunt Club together when we were kids, so we have known each other for a long time. My old man knew his grandfather, so it was great to ride a winner for him."

As for Mystic Journey's performance, he said: "It's a good effort. When those mares lose their form, to come back, especially in that prep, usually they would have to go out and start again, but he (Trinder) took her back and he said to me that he thought she was as good as ever and he was spot on.

"She was up on her toes and jumped really well. Just gave me a perfect ride."