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Trainer Oopy MacGillivray ‘delighted’ with Melbourne Cup contender The Map ahead of return in Leon Macdonald Stakes

The Map begins her Melbourne Cup campaign this weekend at Morphettville and the stable is excited following her latest jumpout.

The Map wins the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Morphettville in May. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
The Map wins the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Morphettville in May. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Gun South Australian stayer The Map commences her Melbourne Cup crusade on Saturday, and trainer Oopy MacGillivray is upbeat heading into the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville.

The six-year-old mare will step out for the first time since winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May, the race that bestowed the mare with a sought-after golden ticket into this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup fancy ruled out for spring

The Map completed her last track gallop on Tuesday morning ahead of Saturday’s first-up return, and it was a pleasing watch for MacGillivray.

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“We were absolutely delighted with her (Tuesday), in our minds she has improved again,” MacGillivray, who trains in partnership with Dan Clarken, said.

“She had a good little jumpout last week, we were very happy with that, (Tuesday) she rolled up with a nice young horse we’ve got, and she was doing it easy, we’re looking forward to Saturday.”

Group 1 winner Attrition and gun mare See You In Heaven also headline a star-studded Leon Macdonald Stakes, and MacGillivray expects The Map to be hitting the line well over the shorter trip.

“You would expect from the gate she would be looking at a fair few backsides from the beginning of the race, but I would say on her work this morning that she would be passing a few on the line,” MacGillivray said.

“As long as she’s happy, relaxed in the run, doing her thing and finishing off strong – we’ll be delighted.”

Apprentice jockey Maggie Collett will pilot The Map on Saturday.

“I hope it’s a thrill for her (Maggie), she’s done a lot of track gallops for us over the time,” MacGillivray said.

“We know her well and we think she will get along really well with The Map.”

Caulfield Cup War to start at Cranbourne trials

Saturday will be the mare’s final race in SA before she takes her preparation to Melbourne, with the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) and the Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on the cards.

The stable is leaning towards the Geelong Cup (2400m) rather than the Caulfield Cup (2400m) for the mare’s final start before the race that stops a nation on November 5.

“The Geelong Cup is definitely still our thought at this moment, it depends on every run we have, where she sits fitness wise and where she looks to us,” she said.

Originally published as Trainer Oopy MacGillivray ‘delighted’ with Melbourne Cup contender The Map ahead of return in Leon Macdonald Stakes

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/sa-racing/trainer-oopy-macgillivray-delighted-with-melbourne-cup-contender-the-map-ahead-of-return-in-leon-macdonald-stakes/news-story/f4bf0a925a6d3907f02b8fe4577753af