Unbeaten filly Mystical Pursuit upstaged her famous three-quarter sister Mystic Journey when she got up in the last stride to win the $150,000 Gold Sovereign Stakes at Mowbray on Wednesday night.
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Mystic Journey, who has gone on to become one of Australia's best fillies, suffered her only Tasmanian defeat when fourth in last year's two-year-old feature.
Trainer Adam Trinder thought that Mystical Journey had also been beaten for the first time, suspecting that his filly had just failed to catch the leader Deroche.
But the photo-finish showed otherwise and Trinder had added another big win to his growing resume.
"I can remember my father (Michael) winning this race with Vodka when I was a 10-year-old and even since then I've had a fascination with it," Trinder said.
"It's great to finally win and it's also a great result for (jockey) Chris Graham who rode with an injury - he's due to have finger surgery tomorrow.
"There's a lot of pressure on a young apprentice riding a $1.60 favourite in a $150,000 race."
After trailing the leader, Graham could have been excused for having a couple of heart flutters at the top of the straight when he was still searching for a run but it eventually came and Mystical Pursuit charged over the top of Deroche who was being hailed as the winner.
Victorian outsider Chase On the Case was only 1-¼ lengths away third.
RIGHT MOVE
Trainer Bill Ryan's decision to bypass the Hobart Cup with Speed Force could help him win the Launceston Cup in a fortnight.
Odds-on favourite Speed Force earned ballot-free entry into Northern Tasmania's biggest race when he overpowered outsider Sentry Duty to win Wednesday night's $30,000 Sydeston Night Cup.
"I was going to run him in the Hobart Cup but he was disappointing at his last start," Ryan said.
"Brendon McCoull, who rode him that day, said it was the track that brought him undone so I decided not to go back there.
"He loves Mowbray, which is a much better track anyway, so we decided to come here and get him ready for the Launceston Cup.
"He will definitely go there now - he's a very honest horse and he's looking for 2400m."
Ryan will have to find a new rider as Craig Newitt, who was on the six-year-old on Wednesday night, will be on Hobart Cup winner Eastender.
The Longford trainer won the Launceston Cup four years ago with Genuine Lad who was ridden by leading Victorian jockey Craig Williams.