Star Tasmanian mare Mystic Journey is set to be remembered on All-Star Mile Day at Flemington with a support race named in her honour.
The Mystic Journey (2000m) will be run for the first time at the Flemington meeting on March 19 next year to honour the inaugural winner of the world’s richest mile race.
Having been recently retired, Mystic Journey won 12 of her 28 starts and collected more than $4.1 million in prize money and won the All-Star Mile in 2019 over the 1600m course.
The Mystic Journey, a new $200,000 race run at set-weights for fillies & mares, is one of eight races on The All-Star Mile undercard, which will also see two $200,000 quality handicaps, renamed The Regal Power (2000m) and The Mugatoo (1600m).
Unlike The Mystic Journey, which will retain its title, The Regal Power and The Mugatoo, honouring the respective All-Star Mile champions of 2020 and 2021, will only feature in 2022 with a rotation policy set to determine those two race names in the future.
Both quality handicaps will feature a maximum topweight of 61kg and a minimum of 53kg, with The Mugatoo designed to provide a suitable racing opportunity for any All-Star Mile emergency runners which fail to gain a start in the marquee contest.
Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said The All-Star Mile is more than just a horse race given that Mystic Journey cost only $11,000 and went on to win over $4 million in prizemoney.
“Her fairy-tale story perfectly encapsulates The All-Star ethos and so it is only fitting that we name a race in ‘Betty’s’ honour,” Carpenter said.
“The inaugural running of The Mystic Journey is set to be one of the many highlights on The All-Star Mile Raceday at Flemington next March and, whilst the fourth running of the world’s richest mile will be the showpiece event, we are very pleased with the spread of races on the support card.
“We are now less than three months out from The All-Star Mile and the sense of excitement is already starting to grow, so today’s announcement will only add an extra element to the build-up.”