South Australian staying mare The Map can give Dan Clarken one of the most satisfying wins of his training career in Saturday’s Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes at Morphettville.
10 years on since he climbed racing’s highest mountain winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes with Miracles Of Life, a Lord Reims victory would rival that victory given it will be alongside partner Oopy MacGillivray.
A perfect lead-up run in the Premier’s Plate, where she closed late to be beaten under two lengths, coupled with a perfect barrier and rise in trip has seen The Map backed into favourite ahead of classy Victorian stayer Grand Promenade.
“She’s awesome,’’ Clarken said.
“Her run the other day was full of merit, I thought she was terrific, Jake had to grab hold over the concluding stages or she would have run up the back of them that’s how well she was finishing off.
“From the soft draw she should get a nice soft run and be thereabouts in the finish,’’ he said.
After opening at $8 with tab.com.au The Map is now a $4.40 favourite, her chances only enhanced by the fact Jake Toeroek is riding at 53kg.
It’s almost eight years since the former top apprentice has ridden at 53kg, the last time aboard Waltzing To Win to win in the 2015 Adelaide Cup.
“We gave Jake the option of riding her and he’s worked hard to get down knowing what sort of weight she’d be carrying in these races,’’ Clarken said.
“It’s great, he’s obviously having a super season and it sets him up for a really big carnival going forward,’’ he said.
Todd Pannell has the job of steering classy Victorian Grand Promenade back to winning form.
The well credentialled stayer finished fourth in the Moonee Valley Cup behind Francesco Guardi before running 14th behind stablemate Gold Trip in the Melbourne Cup and resumed with encouraging run at Sandown behind Right You Are over 1800m.
Robert Hickmott’s Highland Jakk is another who punters have warmed to firming into $6 after opening at $9.
