After a short-lived retirement, The Map is making a comeback to the racing scene under the guidance of South Australian trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray.

The mare, who earned a place in the Melbourne Cup by clinching the Andrew Ramsden Stakes, was withdrawn from racing earlier this year and put up for sale. However, she was passed in at the Chairman’s Sale in Sydney, not meeting her $200,000 reserve.

Clarken shared, “We gave her the opportunity to become a broodmare, and someone might have come along and offered $300,000 or $400,000 for her. That didn’t happen, and she got passed in.”

Observing her vivacious behavior at the sale, the trainers decided to return her to training. “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 remarked. “We thought if she was walking around like an old broodmare, we’d probably let her go.”

With renewed vigor, The Map is back in work, aiming for another Melbourne Cup run. For betting enthusiasts, explore the latest markets at Australian betting sites.