Adam Trinder is now resigned to the fact that he won't be accompanying Mystic Journey to Melbourne on her spring campaign.
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"A fortnight ago, I was still thinking I might be able to travel with her, but the COVID-19 situation in Victoria has worsened since then," the Spreyton trainer said.
"I'd now be kidding myself if I thought there was any chance of me being there.
"I'm open-minded on what we'll do now."
Trinder said the options included sending Mystic Journey to her regular base at Tony McEvoy's stables and leaving her for the duration of her campaign.
"If we do that, we'd send a staff member, get them to isolate and then stay with her," the trainer said.
"The other option would be to bring her home between races."
Mystic Journey's usual routine has been to travel over and back for each race but on previous occasions Trinder has been able to accompany her.
Last spring she resumed with a first-up win in the P B Lawrence Stakes before a second in the Makybe Diva Stakes and fifth placings in both the Turnbull Stakes and Cox Plate.
A leg infection interrupted her autumn campaign and she managed just one start when a fast-finishing fifth in the William Reid at Moonee Valley in March.
Trinder has confirmed that Mystic Journey will have a new rider for at least the first two starts of her new campaign.
Victorian jockey Billy Egan will replace Anthony Darmanin for the Lawrence Stakes and Memsie Stakes.
The TAB's first market on the group 1 Memsie Stakes has Mystic Journey $8 equal favourite with Arcadia Queen.
STAR SHINES IN NARROW DEFEAT
Like Mystic Journey, class filly Still A Star was beaten in her trial at Spreyton on Tuesday but it was still an impressive return.
Still A Star jumped well and raced outside the leader before going down by a nose to Odaline.
Brendon McCoull kept the Bill Ryan-trained three-year-old under a tight hold all the way to the finish while the winner was pushed out by Brandon Louis.
Still A Star hasn't raced since stringing together four successive listed-race wins over the summer carnival.
McCoull also partnered top sprinter Tshahitsi in the same trial as Mystic Journey and he wasn't fully extended in finishing third behind Century Arrow and Dothraki Princess.
A winner of five quality races in Victoria, Tshahitsi hasn't started since failing in the Newmarket Handicap at Mowbray in November when he had a severely interrupted preparation and drew the outside barrier with 60.5kg.
The rising nine-year-old won the Newmarket in 2016.
ONE LESS RIDER AFTER SUSPENSION
Tasmania's shortage of jockeys got worse at Spreyton on Sunday when Ismail Toker was suspended for careless riding.
Unless he appeals and is granted a stay, Toker will miss the meetings in Hobart on Sunday and Devonport on July 26.
Stewards found that Toker, riding Huon Chief, caused Vallabar to be severely checked when he shifted in near the 200m mark of the Class 1 Handicap.
Impressive debut winner Apollo Rocket had to be scratched from the other Class 1 Handicap when no rider was available.
Fourteen jockeys were at the meeting but the only one without a ride in that race, Kyle Maskiell, couldn't make the filly's weight (55kg).
Maskiell, who was returning after a break of almost four years, rode at 59kg.
RARE BREACH BY LEADING DRIVER
Leading reinsman Ricky Duggan incurred a rare careless driving suspension in Hobart on Sunday night.
He pleaded guilty to causing interference on Black Ops near the 500m mark in the seventh race.
When shifting up the track, Duggan's offside sulky wheel contacted the hind leg of Burningupthefloor causing that horse to break.
Stewards said that the penalty took into account Duggan's "excellent driving record which included no infringement of the interference rule for more than two years".
Duggan was allowed to defer the start of his penalty until after the meeting in Launceston on Sunday night.
Taylor Ford was also suspended for two meetings for breaching the whip rules on winner Big Bang Raj.
Meanwhile, Duggan's brother Adrian has finally returned home after spending more than a week in hospital.
Duggan broke his ankle in two places and a toe in a fall at Mowbray 10 days ago.