Cox Plate favourite Mystic Journey headlines the nominations for the 2019 Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Mystic Journey, above, is among the nominations for the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Mystic Journey, above, is among the nominations for the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Tasmania’s new racing star Mystic Journey is one of fifteen early Spring Carnival contenders among the nominations for the 1400m weight for age sprint which will be the starting point for many heading towards the feature races of the Carnival.

The Adam Trinder trained mare’s winning feats during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival saw her installed as the $4.50 favourite at Ladbtokes.com.au for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26.

Mystic Journey was undefeated from four runs during the Autumn and gained everybody’s attention with wins in the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) and in the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m).

Tasmania’s new racing idol was set to step out at Caulfield in the Group 3 $160,000 The Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) on July 27 but Trinder opted to miss it because of the rain affected track and the  new season four year old will now kick start her Spring Carnival campaign in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes.

“She’ll head to the Lawrence. That will give us more clarity as to what our next steps are,” Trinder told racing.com.

“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.”

“I am really comfortable that she did bypass the Bletchingly.”

“I thought the ground was quite testing and it wouldn’t have been a suitable start point for her.”

Co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have four nominations for the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, Cliff’s Edge, Humidor, Kenedna and Spirit Of Valor while the in-form Lindsay Park stable matches that with Fifty Stars, Harlem, Neufbosc and Sikandarabad.

Godolphin’s warhorse Hartnell is the lone James Cummings entry and if the veteran does take his place in the final field, he will be lining up for his third consecutive P. B. Lawrence Stakes after winning it in 2017 and running second to Showtime last year.

The final field for the P. B. Lawrence Stakes will be released on Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Nominations for the 2019 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 21x41x332 BEAU BALMAIN (GER) H 5 Jim Conlan 90
2 8x071516x3 CLIFF’S EDGE H 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 105
3 211x60110x FIFTY STARS (IRE) H 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 109
4 0069x4719x HARLEM (GB) G 8 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 110
5 120x53233x HARTNELL (GB) G 9 James Cummings 116
6 84x817333x HUMIDOR (NZ) G 7 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 116
7 01x931911x KENEDNA M 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 110
8 611x2x0410 MR MARATHON MAN (GB) G 6 Michael Moroney 102
9 1511x1111x MYSTIC JOURNEY M 4 Adam Trinder 115
10 612112x30x NEUFBOSC (FR) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 106
11 18x611130x SEMARI (NZ) M 5 Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young 99
12 435x42170x SIKANDARABAD (IRE) G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 103
13 59x315314x SILENT ROAR M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 76
14 28863x226x SPIRIT OF VALOR (USA) H 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 108
15 5216x5233x TRAP FOR FOOLS G 6 Jarrod McLean 110

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.