3 minute read

Promising staying mare The Map put herself firmly into Adelaide Cup calculations with a brilliant return to racing in the Listed JRA Plate at Morphettville on the weekend.

The Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray prepared mare thrived on a solid tempo up front before she powered past rivals to score a dominant two length win.

"What a beautiful start to her preparation,'' MacGillivray said.

"We're excited,'' she said.

The race also saw fellow local Hasta La War throw his name into Adelaide Cup calculations coming from the back of the field to be beaten 2.7 lengths in third spot.

The Map was ridden perfectly by Lachlan Neindorf who made it a race to race double when Celsius Star was successful for the Phillip Stokes stable.

Jacob Opperman's good form in the saddle continued at Naracoorte on Sunday winning the feature – the Naracoorte Cup - aboard the Sue Murphy-trained Farooq.

It was the second leg of a riding double for Opperman who continued his association with Victorian horseman Andrew Bobbin early in the day when Chiq Magnet was successful.

Opperman shared riding honours with Dom Tourneur.

There was SA success over the border with the Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle-trained Bristler scoring at Moonee Valley on Friday night before promising two-year-old Kuroyanagi was narrowly beaten in the $300,000 Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies at Caulfield on Saturday.