Lindop and Macdonald warm up for Adelaide Cup with Counter Pulse win

Jockey Claire Lindop and co-trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas are getting warmed up for the Adelaide Cup with Counter Pulse winning the Darley Goodwood 20th May 2017 BenchMark 75 Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville today.

Master Of Arts, above, heads the market order for the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Master Of Arts, above, heads the market order for the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Lindop will team up with Macdonald and Gluyas when she is legged up onto Mail It In in the Group 2 $400,000 Adelaide Cup (3200m) later in the day.

The premiership winning jockey and Macdonald have had a lot of success over a long period of time and the veteran trainer said that Lindop deserves her rewards after putting a lot of work into his horses.

“She does plenty of work with the team, six days a week,” Macdonnald said.

Counter Pulse ($4) was able to make it two wins on the trot with his one length win over Go The Journey ($3.80 favourite) after scoring an all the way win with Lindop in the saddle last start in a 1200m BenchMark 70 Handicap at Morphettville on March 4.

Lindop won her only Adelaide Cup when she steered the Jim Smith trained Exalted Time to victory in 2006 and she is very keen to break the eleven year winning drought in front of her home crowd.

“I’m really excited. I love the thrill of these distance races,” Lindop told The Advertiser.

“This is something I always look forward to.”

Lindop has been Mail It In’s regular rider and has only missed one mount in his last nine outings when apprentice Eran Boyd took over the reins when second in an 1800m BenchMark 82 Handicap at Morphettville Parks on January 14.

With Lindop in the saddle, Mail It In was beaten a nose when second to Letmedonegently in $50,000 Rain Lover Plate (1800m) on February 4 followed by a win in the Listed $100,000 Birthday Cup (2020m) on February 18 before being beaten a length last start when fourth behind Adelaide Cup rivals Master Of ArtsPuccini and Jim’s Journey.

Mail It In is currently marked at $11 for the Adelaide Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au who have Master Of Arts as the $3.90 favourite.

Master Of Arts has come in for some solid support this morning and has firmed in from $4.60 to be the clear top pick in the market order ahead of the top weight Chance To Dance at $6, and Annus Mirabilis and De Little Engine at $8.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.