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 (2^nd) and Hartnell (3^rd).

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 (11^th) and Golden Eagle (5^th).

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

Table Credit: Racing Australia.