Fresh off an 11-week break, the 5-year-old Alpine Eagle mare, The Map, put in a career-best performance in Saturday’s Listed JRA Plate (2006m) at Morphettville.
Ridden by Lachlan Neindorf for Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray, The Map launched down the centre of the track to defeat the favourite Arugamama (Churchill) by two lengths with Hasta La War (Declaration Of War) three-quarters of a length back in third.
A winner over 2800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, The Map advances her record to seven wins, one second, and three thirds from 24 starts with earnings of $370,140.
“What a beautiful start to the preparation; we could not have asked for any better,” MacGillivray enthused.
“We will stick to the plan (two weeks to the Lord Reims Stakes followed by the Adelaide Cup.
“It’s a great start to the prep and we are so excited.
The Map finished fifth in the race last year and Dan Clarken revealed that he felt she was not right.
“We gave her a spell after the spring as she got fat, and we did not do that this year. She had a week in the paddock, and she presented today as good as I have seen her and raced as well as I have seen her.”
Oopy MacGillivray made the final bid of $35,000 for The Map, which Armidale Stud consigned to the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
She is the best of three winners from four to race for the 9-time winning Savoire Vivre (GB) mare This Moment.
A sister to triple stakes-winner Iggimacool, This Moment had a sister to The Map in the Armidale Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale. She was a $50,000 purchase for Angus River Contractors. Named On The Map, she joined her sister in the Clarken/MacGillivray stable.
After foaling another Alpine Eagle filly last spring, This Moment was covered by So You Think’s ATC Australian Derby winner, Quick Thinker.
The Map is the second stakes-winner for Armidale Stud’s High Chaparral stallion Alpine Eagle, who, on this day in 2015, captured the Group II Autumn Classic at Caulfield.
