Tasmania's star mare Mystic Journey took the first step towards another Melbourne spring campaign when she trialled nicely on her home track at Spreyton on Tuesday morning.
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However connections have yet to pinpoint her main target, with a second tilt at the Cox Plate a possibility but not set in stone.
Trainer Adam Trinder said the alternative would be to keep the rising five-year-old to shorter races.
Mystic Journey, ridden by David Pires, wasn't extended while finishing fourth of six runners in the fastest of 10 trials over 800m.
Trinder was more than satisfied with the effort.
"She returned (from the spelling paddock) carrying quite a bit of condition and she still is a bit big, so she'll benefit from that hit-out," the trainer said.
"The last 600m of the trial was quite quick and she's probably run 32-1/2 seconds on the bridle which is good work.
"We'll trial her again here in a fortnight when we'll ask her to do a bit more and that should bring her to where she should be."
Trinder plans to give Mystic Journey her first-up run in the P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 15 before tackling the Memsie Stakes a fortnight later.
Beyond those two races, the trainer is keeping an open mind.
"She'll be entered for the Cox Plate but the other option is stick to 1600m and make the Empire Rose our main target," he said.
The $1 million Empire Rose is run at Flemington a week after the Cox Plate.
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