Sydney jockey Rachel King booked for SA mare The Map in Melbourne Cup

South Australian trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray have locked in a Melbourne Cup jockey for The Map.

South Australian trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray have locked in a Melbourne Cup jockey for The Map, with Group 1-winning Sydney hoop Rachel King set to pilot the mare in the race that stops the nation on November 5.

King, who has ridden five Group 1 winners and is considered one of the leading female riders in the country, was confirmed to be piloting the mare in a social media announcement made by Racing SA on Friday afternoon.

The Map finished sixth, beaten five lengths, in Wednesday’s Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), where she was ridden by star jockey Jamie Kah.

• SA mare takes on the boys in JRA Cup

Clarken and MacGillivray, who are close friends with Kah, had hoped to secure the hoop’s services for their Melbourne Cup tilt before Kah committed to talented Irish stayer Point King earlier this month.

The Map, who scored a golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup after winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden in May, has enjoyed a solid build-up into the Cup, with encouraging runs in the Naturalism, Herbert Power Stakes and Geelong Cup.

The Map is a $34 chance for the Melbourne Cup.

To make your Friday even better, 5x Group 1 winning jockey @RachelK11 gets the Melbourne Cup ride on The Map 💙 pic.twitter.com/QrwceTdzof

— Racing SA (@RacingSA) October 25, 2024

Originally published as Sydney jockey Rachel King booked for SA mare The Map in Melbourne Cup