Nominations for the feature race at Caulfield on Saturday, the P.B. Lawrence Stakes 2020, have drawn 15 hopefuls including the inaugural two winners of The All-Star Mile Mystic Journey and Regal Power.

Defending champion Mystic Journey is narrow favourite in the all-in markets on Saturday’s 2020 P.B. Lawrence Stakes. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A key early spring lead-up into the majors including the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) was won last year by Adam Trinder’s outstanding Tassie-trained mare Mystic Journey.
Mystic Journey is nominated to defend her title on the weekend, the now five-year-old daughter of Needs Further leading all-in P.B. Lawrence Stakes betting at $4.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
As a filly she made history as the first Tasmanian-trained Group 1 winner in a century saluting in the Australian Guineas before returning to take out the first edition of the $5 The All-Star Mile.
Her only win since as in last year’s P.B. Lawrence Stakes, which she won as the $2.15 favourite defeating Cliff’s Edge (2nd) and Hartnell (3rd).
She has raced just four times in the past 12 months including her fifth to Japanese star Lys Graciuex in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last October.
Mystic Journey was last seen running fifth again first-up at The Valley in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) in March and, on the back of two eye-catching July trials at home, she looks a danger on Saturday undefeated over the 1400m distance.
Success would see her become the first back-to-back winner of the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, formerly known as the JJ Liston Stakes, since Tauto (1971-72).
Hot on her heels in pre-field P.B. Lawrence Stakes betting are then the Grant & Alana Williams-trained stablemates Arcadia Queen ($4.80) and Regal Power ($5), the latter having won this year’s All-Star mile at Caulfield.
Lightly-raced Pierro mare Arcadia Queen has had nine runs for six wins to date, the $1.78 million earner best known for her four and a half length romp home in Ascot’s Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) in December of 2018.
She spent last spring in Sydney with Chris Waller winning the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) before unplaced runs in The Everest (11th) and Golden Eagle (5th).
Back with Team Williams in WA, Arcadia Queen debuts as a five-year-old if accepted into the P.B. Lawrence Stakes field and would also be having her maiden run in Melbourne.
Regal Power meanwhile already has a proven record at the Caulfield track, the fellow Pierro progeny having won the All-Star Mile there in March on the back of a Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) second at Flemington.
Other notable P.B. Lawrence Stakes nominees include Futurity Stakes winner Streets Of Avalon, the Godolphin-raced Savatiano who was scratched from Rosehill’s Group 2 Missile Stakes last weekend due to a Heavy track and Danny O’Brien’s VRC Oaks champion Miami Bound.
Acceptances close on Wednesday with the current all-in P.B. Lawrence Stakes 2020 odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au available here.
2020 P.B. Lawrence Stakes Nominations
Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13111x105x | ARCADIA QUEEN | M | 5 | Grant & Alana Williams | 110 |
2 | 75720x507x | ARISTIA | M | 5 | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 103 |
3 | 83x100x80x | CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (IRE) | H | 5 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | 108 |
4 | 713x25319x | CASCADIAN (GB) | G | 6 | James Cummings | 106 |
5 | 2115x3010x | DR DRILL (GB) | G | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 103 |
6 | 166x32050x | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 109 |
7 | 113411x84x | MIAMI BOUND (NZ) | M | 4 | Danny O’Brien | 103 |
8 | x30x03643x | MIRAGE DANCER (GB) | H | 7 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 107 |
9 | 333×002141 | MORRISSY | H | 5 | Leon & Troy Corstens | 92 |
10 | 11x1255x5x | MYSTIC JOURNEY | M | 5 | Adam Trinder | 113 |
11 | x2161x421x | REGAL POWER | G | 5 | Grant & Alana Williams | 112 |
12 | 101x12766x | SAVATIANO | M | 6 | James Cummings | 109 |
13 | x653502217 | SIRCCONI | G | 6 | Nick Ryan | 98 |
14 | 84644116×4 | SO SI BON | G | 7 | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | 106 |
15 | 189x3210x2 | STREETS OF AVALON | G | 6 | Shane Nichols | 110 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.