Star Tasmanian filly Mystic Journey has been hailed the second-best horse in Australia behind Winx after an amazing win in the inaugural $5 million All-Star Mile at Flemington on Saturday.
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The assessment came from former champion trainer-turned-commentator Peter Moody after Mystic Journey sat three wide for the entire race before charging clear in the last 200m.
The bargain basement-priced $11,000 yearling won by just over a length from Hartnell and Alizee, both owned by global racing giant Godolphin.
Mystic Journey, who earned $2.25 million for her win, is raced by former Sydney barrister Wayne Roser, now living at Sulphur Creek, and is trained at Spreyton by Adam Trinder.
She was ridden by Victorian jockey Anthony Darmanin who has resurrected his career since teaming up with Trinder and riding in Tasmania on a weekly basis.
Although Trinder was reluctant to rate the win above the filly's group 1 Australian Guineas success a fortnight early, it was a momentous victory for Tasmanian racing.
Given the hype surrounding the race - the richest 1600m turf event in the world - it was probably Tasmania's highest-profile win since Piping Lane in the 1972 Melbourne Cup.
Sydeston, Alfa, The Cleaner and others have carried the flag high in subsequent years but the publicity surrounding Mystic Journey has been phenomenal.
"If she's not the second-best horse in the country (behind Winx) I'd like to have what is in my backyard," Moody said.
Roser described the win as "surreal" and Trinder said it was a magical moment.
"The group 1 was the pinnacle a fortnight ago but to win the richest mile race in the world only two weeks later is fantastic," the trainer said.
"I don't think we're anywhere near the base of this filly yet and this gives us good confidence to move forward to 2000m in the spring."
Mystic Journey will be set for the W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October.