South Australian trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray are reigniting their Melbourne Cup aspirations with The Map, who is set to return to racing after a brief retirement.
The Map, who secured a spot in the Melbourne Cup by winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington, was initially retired following a lackluster performance in February. She was offered at the Chairman’s Sale in Sydney but was passed in after failing to meet her reserve price of $200,000.
“We gave her the opportunity to become a broodmare, and someone might have come along and offered $300,000 or $400,000 for her,” Clarken said. “That didn’t happen, and she got passed in.”
Clarken and MacGillivray decided to bring The Map back into work after observing her spirited demeanor at the sale. “We both went up and we were happy to see her really up and about and she really got wired up out the back,” Clarken noted. “We thought if she was walking around like an old broodmare, we’d probably let her go.”
With The Map back in training, the team is hopeful for another shot at the Melbourne Cup. For those interested in wagering, check out the latest odds at Australian betting sites.