Adam Trinder’s Cox Plate-bound mare Mystic Journey remains the punters’ pick to get back to winning form in Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes 2019 despite a last start loss.

Mystic Journey is tipped to return to winning form in Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes 2019. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The gun daughter of Needs Further resumed with a first-up win the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield before going down to 100/1 shot Gatting as the beaten favourite second-up in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).

It was a shock-loss for the star four-year-old who had won the Group 1 Australian Guineas – All-Star Mile double over the 1600m at Flemington in the autumn.

She is back at HQ this weekend and is tipped to return to her best in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).

Mystic Journey gets out over the distance for the first time in the set weights plus penalties clash as she continues on the path towards the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26.

There are 11 remaining runners in the Turnbull Stakes field after the scratching of the Chris Waller-trained Verry Elleegant (8) who runs in Sydney’s Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) on the same day instead.

Coming in one to gate eight, Mystic Journey sits top of the Turnbull Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $2.90 and Trinder is confident his bonny mare will see out the distance.

“I trust she’ll run it because she gives herself every opportunity because she settles in the run and relaxes and builds,” Trinder said this week.

“We obviously need to see her go there and run 2000m under race conditions but I feel she will.”

The scratching of Verry Elleegant and subsequent move to barrier eight for Mystic Journey sees her start from the most successful gate in recent years.

Since the Turnbull Stakes became a Group 1 race in 2006, all 13 winners saluted from a single-digit barrier with eight the most successful in that time producing four winners.

Thirty-four Turnbull Stakes winners meanwhile have backed-up and run in the Cox Plate, with 11 doing the double.

Working against Mystic Journey – who is out to be the fourth straight favourite to win the Turnbull Stakes – statistically however is her Melbourne lead-up.

The past five Turnbull Stakes winners all came off a last start run in Sydney, including the back-to-back victories by Winx (2017-18).

During that time, Lucia Valentina (2014) was the only one not coming off a last start victory.

Hot on Mystic Journey’s heels in Turnbull Stakes betting is the winter’s Queensland Derby winner Mr Quickie ($3.90) into barrier 10.

The ultra-consistent Phillip Stokes-trained four-year-old has finished out of the money just once in his 14-start career to date.

He resumed in the Makybe Diva Stakes running an eye-catching third from a wide gate (12 of 15) at big odds and is being kept much safer second-up over further.

He is out to become just the second Turnbull Stakes winner since 1989 to win the race second-up joining Zipping (2010).

There are just two other single-figure hopefuls with Melbourne Cup favourite Finche ($8.50) and the 2016 Turnbull Stakes winner Hartnell ($9.50).

Waller’s outstanding son of Frankel Finche caught the eye second-up on September 21 winning the Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) despite his best form being over further.

Hartnell meanwhile is out to be the first dual Turnbull Stakes winner on non-successive years since the mighty Ajax (1938, 1940).

The veteran Godolphin-raced nine-year-old has had four runs this prep for a third first-up and three Group 1 fourth placings, the latest only last Sunday behind shock champ Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).

Click here for the latest Turnbull Stakes 2019 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au, the race set to run as Flemington 7 at 4:25pm (AEST) on Saturday.

2019 Turnbull Stakes Field