Former Victorian Craig Stott knew he was taking the risk of a lifetime and was ignoring his mother's advice when he ventured into farming and training almost 20 years ago.Stott, who saddles up Mystical Grey in the Jae My Holdings Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday, was working as a senior marketing executive for Ansett airlines in 1993 when he decided to quit to take up farming sheep and cattle."I left Ansett just before it collapsed and contrary to Mum's advice I went farming sheep and cat

Former Victorian Craig Stott knew he was taking the risk of a lifetime and was ignoring his mother's advice when he ventured into farming and training almost 20 years ago.

Stott, who saddles up Mystical Grey in the Jae My Holdings Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday, was working as a senior marketing executive for Ansett airlines in 1993 when he decided to quit to take up farming sheep and cattle.

"I left Ansett just before it collapsed and contrary to Mum's advice I went farming sheep and cattle and eventually started training and breeding horses," Stott said.

Stott worked alongside his late father Glenn breeding horses at Balbethan Stud near Oaklands Junction outside Melbourne and dabbled in training horses.

"Dad once stood Caulfield Cup winner Bunratty Castle at our stud before it finished his career up this way at Warwick," Stott said.

"Dad and I stood about seven stallions and had quite a few broodmares at the stud."

Stott came to Queensland to retire last year but his love of horses was too great.

Mystical Grey is the only horse Stott has in full-time training, with three two-year-olds currently in pre-training at Peachester Lodge in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Stott hopes Mystical Grey can fulfil his ambition of winning a Group race during the upcoming Brisbane winter carnival.

"If he could win a Group race that would tick all the boxes as far as I'm concerned," Stott said.

Mystical Grey was a late scratching from Eagle Farm last Saturday after the track was downgraded to heavy.

The seven-year-old was one of the favourites following his eye-catching second to Tomboy in his comeback at Doomben last month.

"We drove down from the Sunshine Coast and made it to the track just as some of the jockeys were meeting with the stewards about whether the meeting would continue," he said.

"I didn't want to run him with 57kg over 1600 metres second-up so I scratched him. It would have been a gut-wrencher."

Stott is not concerned that Mystical Grey won't have raced for three weeks before lining up for his second start this campaign.

"I gave him a hard gallop on Tuesday in belting rain," Stott said.

"He's pleased me since his last run and he's back to a 1350-metre race so the break shouldn't worry him.

"He's muscled up this time in and he's about 25 kilos heavier than last campaign."

Mystical Grey showed his ability when last in training by claiming the Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm last June.

"He's really acclimatised since he came to Queensland last year and it's the best he's ever been," Stott said.

"I'm not targeting anything special with him in the winter and I'm sure he'll get to 2000 metres."