John O’Shea’s last start Group 1 The Metropolitan winner in Sydney Magic Hurricane will head to Melbourne for the first time this Saturday shooting for another elite level Spring win in Flemington’s Mackinnon Stakes 2015.

The Metropolitan winner Magic Hurricane is one of 30 nominations taken for Saturday’s Mackinnon Stakes 2015 at Flemington Racecourse. Photo: Steve Hart.

One of four highlights on an all-black type card for Victoria Derby Day, all events available at Best Tote or SP + 20% only at Ladbrokes.com.au, this year’s $1 million Group 1 Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) has attracted 30 nominations.

Godolphin and O’Shea have two entries led by imported six-year-old Magic Hurricane who won the The Metropolitan over 2400m at Randwick on October 3 and steps back in distance for his maiden Melbourne run this weekend.

The last The Metropolitan winner to have a final Group race lead-up outside of Melbourne was the Gai Waterhouse-trained Desert War who ran second in the Epsom Handicap in 2006.

Contributer, winner of the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes – Ranvet Stakes double in the autumn, is the Godolphin stable’s other entry who was last seen crossing fifth to subsequent Cox Plate runner-up Criterion in the Caulfield Stakes over 2000m on October 10.

Caulfield Stakes runner-up Happy Trails is a triple Group 1 winner who took out last year’s Mackinnon Stakes on the back of a Cox Plate sixth for his final run that campaign.

The now eight-year-old son of Good Journey returns having crossed 10^th in the Cox Plate last weekend beaten over 13 lengths, Happy Trails looking to go back-to-back in the Mackinnon Stakes for the first time since Belmura Lad (1980-81).

Waterhouse meanwhile boasts an impressive four Mackinnon Stakes wins with: All Our Mob (1996), Grand Armee (2004), Desert War (2006) and Theseo (2008).

She returns this spring with two entries in Doomben Cup winner Pornichet who ran a surprise fourth in the Cox Plate as a 51/1 outsider last weekend and her Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) runner-up in Sydney last start Ecuador.

The form of the Epsom Handicap was more than franked by the winner Winx with her five length romp in the Cox Plate last start, Ecuador looking to continue that this weekend in Melbourne.

Cox Plate winning trainer Chris Waller, who celebrated his 54^th Group 1 success with the record breaking success of Winx, has six Mackinnon Stakes nominees as he looks for his first win in the weight-for-age feature.

Waller’s Mackinnon contingent consists of 2015 Melbourne Cup-bound Beaten Up, Flamingo Star, Bart Cummings third placed Hawkspur, Cranbourne Cup third placed Index Linked, Craven Plate fourth placed Moriarty and Weary.

This year’s Mackinnon Stakes nominations also feature four international raiders including the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained stablemates Elhaame who comes off back-to-back wins in Britain and Melbourne Cup nominated Secret Number.

The other internationals in the mix are Cox Plate eighth-placed French horse Gailo Chop and Germany’s Magic Artist for last year’s Melbourne Cup winning trainer Andreas Wohler.

The Mackinnon Stakes is also one of two Derby Day races off a ballot exemption to the winner for the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 3.

The last Melbourne Cup winner to come out of the Mackinnon was Viewed (11^th in 2008) for the late, great Bart Cummings’ 12^th victory in the ‘race that stops a nation’.

Check out the full Mackinnon Stakes 2015 nominations below, the field of final acceptances released on Wednesday.

Before then make sure you’re ready to enjoy Best Tote or SP + 20% on all the Flemington races on Saturday by signing up with the country’s premier sportsbook Ladbrokes.com.au today!

2015 Mackinnon Stakes Nominations

Flemington Racecourse – 31/10/2015