RSN927
QUERIES REMAIN AS MYSTIC JOURNEY BEATEN AGAIN AT $1.18
February 7, 2021 3:33 pm
By Conor Walsh
Star Tasmanian mare Mystic Journey has suffered another upset defeat, failing to break through in the Listed Thomas Lyons Stakes at Hobart on Sunday after being crunched in betting from $1.50 to $1.18F.
The inaugural All-Star Mile winner disappointed when beaten at $1.10 first up in a five-horse field at Launceston, but punters lined up again to back her at Hobart.
Mystic Journey was slow into stride and forced to settled towards the tail of the field over the 1400m trip, with leader Dark Wanderer setting a strong tempo out in front.
Portland Sky showed a lot can change in four weeks when he led throughout to beat bigger names in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Nothing went Portland Sky’s way during a terrible trip to Queensland, which ended when he ran last in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1400m) on the troubled Eagle Farm track on January.
Getting back to Victoria and dropping back to 1200m made a huge difference to Portland Sky at Caulfield.
Portland Sky was simply too good for Aysar and Tagaloa today. @mattlaurierace@MelbRacingClub Racing.com (@Racing) January 30, 2021
Jockey Luke Currie controlled the Manfred Stakes on the Matt Laurie-trained colt before Portland Sky ($9) held off the Caulfield Guineas runner-up Aysar ($2.50 fav) and last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa ($2.90) to score by three-quarters of a length.
Mystic Journey became the shortest priced favourite to be rolled at Mowbray for many years when she kicked off her All Star Mile campaign with a second placing at $1.10 in the Ladbrokes Stakes.
TAB fixed odds has Mystic Journey at $1.10 to win the 1200 metres, weight-for-age sprint.
Mystic Journey won the inaugural All-Star Mile in 2019 as a three-year-old filly.
Last year Trinder was also setting her for the race and he reflected it was a year ago when things started to go wrong for his star mare and they had to abandon that goal.
“She’s in great order. She’s fluent in her action and happy in herself,” Trinder said on Melbourne radio station RSN.
“I’m really pleased with her. She’s got a bit of nervous energy around the year and she’ll be happy to release that at the races,” he said.
RSN927
ADELAIDE CUP ON THE CARDS FOR COOLTH
January 17, 2021 11:13 am
By Conor Walsh
Calvin McEvoy says promising stayer Coolth will be aimed at the Group 2 Adelaide Cup in March following his impressive return to form at Flemington on Saturday.
Coolth ($6) settled towards the back of the big field over the 2000m journey before rider Jye McNiel showed good poise to guide him into the clear rounding the final turn.
The four-year-old took some time to wind up and appeared to hit a flat spot in the straight, but he clicked into gear nicely with 100m to run to charge over the top of brave leader Sikorsky and claim the strong victory.