Cox Plate favourite Mystic Journey is set to reveal all when she steps out in the Group 1 $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Mystic Journey, above, is the favourite for the 2019 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Mystic Journey is the $5 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26 and the Tassie champ holds the same position at $2.15 for the weight for age Makybe Diva Stakes.
Mystic Journey lived up to her brilliant 2019 Autumn Carnival form with a first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 17 and trainer Adam Trinder said that his stable star is nearing 100 per cent fitness for Saturday’s assignment.
“She is near 100 percent and she will go there and give an accurate account of herself,” Trinder told Racenet.
“I think it’s a cracking race.”
“A pass mark for us is just a good run, we are not scared of defeat.
“We have got an objective which culminates at the end of October.”
Regular rider Anthony Darmanin is back in the saddle again and Mystic Journey will jump from gate ten in the fifteen horse Makybe Diva Stakes field while the number one saddle cloth holder Hartnell has drawn one to the outside of the mare in eleven with Craig Williams in the saddle.
“I feel Hartnell is the benchmark in the race, he is third-up out to a mile at Flemington which is a track that he really appreciates and we really appreciate as well,” Trinder said.
“So he is the benchmark I think, he will probably trail us in the run and have the last crack at us, very similar to the All-Star Mile.
“We are just hopeful we are strong enough to hold on.”
Mystic Journey has shown her liking for the Flemington 1600m with her two biggest wins during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival being over that course and distance in the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas and in the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m) when she beat Hartnell and Alizee.
Memsie Stakes winner Scales Of Justice at $4.60 and the Liam Howley trained Yucatan at $9.50 are the only other runners under the $10 mark while Hartnell is next in the betting at $13.
Betting for the 2019 Makybe Diva Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.15 Mystic Journey, $4.60 Scales Of Justice, $9.50 Yucatan, $13 Hartnell, $17 Kings Will Dream, $21 Humidor, Night’s Watch, $26 Rostropovich, Mr Quickie, $34 Fifty Stars, Qafila, $41 Gailo Chop, $67 Oohood, $91 Gatting, $201 Sound.
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