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.

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)