Memsie Stakes winner Scales Of Justice is set to take on Cox Plate favourite Mystic Journey in the Group 1 $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 14.
Scales Of Justice, above, will take on Mystic Journey in the 2019 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Trainer Lindsey Smith will keep Scales Of Justice at his Warrnambool base following his win in last Saturday’s Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and tweeted that the seven year old will be given another chance at a Melbourne Spring Carnival Group 1.
“Scales Of Justice has pulled up so well following his Grand Final win in the G1 Memsie Stakes last Saturday, that we have decided to stay in Warnnambool and take it one race at a time. His next assignment will be the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, September 14,” Smith tweeted.
Tassie champ Mystical Journey is the current $4.80 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26 and kicked off her Spring Carnival campaign with a first up win in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 17.
Trainer Adam Trinder decided to bypass the Memsie Stakes with Mystic Journey but will continue the mare’s Cox Plate countdown in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
“I just feel, moving forward, she is better off going straight to the 1600 metres of the Makybe Diva at Flemington,” Trinder said.
“That will just give her a good foundation. There are options to shorten-up her preparation post that run but, just at the start of the preparation, with us having missed the Bletchingly (Stakes) and changing plans to go to the Lawrence, I feel she is better placed with a month between runs straight out to the mile.”
Mystic Journey has been installed as the odds on $1.80 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Makybe Diva Stakes with Scales Of Justice the second pick at $5.
Pre-post betting for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.80 Mystic Journey, $5 Scales Of Justice, $12 Avilius, Hartnell, $14 Happy Clapper, Kings Will Dream, $15 Humidor, Mr Quickie, $16 Te Akau Shark, $19 Alizee, $21 Gailo Chop, Land Of Plenty, Verry Elleegant, $31 Le Romain, $34 Behemoth, D’Argento, Dreamforce, Pohutukawa, $51 or better the rest.
