Tasmanian-bred filly Mystic Journey earned her third stakes win with a typically courageous performance in Saturday's $200,000 Group II Aquis Farm Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
A last start winner of the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes at Caulfield, Mystic Journey was caught three wide without cover but was travelling well within herself when Anthony Darmanin set her to an all-out drive 600 metres from home.
The daughter of Needs Further had the pacesetting Fundamentalist in her sights on the home turn before powering past that daughter of Not A Single Doubt to win by two and a quarter lengths with the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes heroine El Dorado Dreaming a neck back in third. (photo Grant Courtney ).
With her third stakes win, the Adam Trinder-trained filly advances her record to 6 wins from 9 starts with earnings of $317,350.
"It probably wasn't a nice watch if you are a punter," Darmanin said.
"But Adam has done a terrific job with this filly and all credit goes to him."
Trinder said Mystic Journey has continued to thrive through her preparation.
"She was fantastic. She was very dynamic as a sprinting filly, an 1100 metre record holder as a two-year-old, which is unheard of, but she is bred to get a trip and now that she is getting out to these trips where she can get an easy midsectional she is strong and solid through the line," Trinder said.
"It's easy to say after the fact but just watching it even though she was three wide without cover she continued to build into it and I grew in confidence the further they ran."
An $11,000 purchase by her trainer out of the Armidale Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, Mystic Journey is the best of three winners out of the Colombia mare White Gold who is a sister to the stakes-placed Oronero.
A full-sister to Mystic Journey made $55,000 to the bid of Ross Wilkinson at this year's Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
White Gold was not covered in 2016 but visited Fighting Sun last spring.
