Mating Call is chasing Group 1 honours when she lines up at Caulfield.

The barrier gods have been against Mating Call for the fourth time in as many starts as the filly prepares for her most important assignment at Caulfield. 

Mating Call heads to the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on Saturday, drawing another wide barrier, a feat that has fallen on the filly in her four career starts. 

Winning her maiden on debut at Balaklava last month, Mating Call drew 11 of 14 then at start number two she was in gate 10 of 11 starters. 

At her most recent outing when third in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 4, Mating Call had gate eight of the 10 runners under Jamie Melham. 

The Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained filly has a lot of natural ability but is still learning her racing craft and will jump from gate 10 of the 12 acceptors on Saturday. 

"Sandown wasn't a great experience for her as she got exposed, but in a good way, she's a very competitive filly," MacGillivray said. 

"Once she gets open air, she wants to get going, so you can't knock her for that, but I would like to see her drawn a bit better where she can just jump and be smothered up and get a chance to relax. 

"Jamie said, once she found a backside to follow last time, she did drop her head, but by then it was time to get going again. 

"Generally, these races at Caulfield are run with pressure, so I think that is what we would like to see and there's a few there that are going to the mile for the first time which makes it interesting." 

MacGillivray took advantage of taking Mating Call to Caulfield on Tuesday morning. 

She said Mating Call has a lot of character about her but was on her best behaviour as she followed her work mate The Map around the course. 

"She doesn't appear to have taken a step backwards," MacGillivray said. 

"It's not a bad effort to go from a maiden to a Group 1 in four starts but she gives every indication that she's going to cope, so let's go." 

MacGillivray said Saturday's outing was likely to be Mating Call's final start of the preparation, but in time the filly will handle a step up in trip. 

The Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville next May could be on the filly's agenda. 

"This is her first prep, and this is start number four, so I don't think we will be thinking past Saturday," MacGillivray said. 

"But I think she is a filly that could turn up in Adelaide in the autumn in our hometown. 

"If you said six months ago that she would be here contesting a Group 1, we would have doubted your sanity, but good horses continue to step up and that is what she is doing."