Murray Bridge team eye a big day
The Murray Bridge stable of Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray are hoping for a big pay day with three live chances, in two states.
Their Melbourne Cup hope The Map heads to Caulfield on Saturday to contest the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m), while on their home track they will have two runners.
Thirsty Guest lines up in the feature race of the day, the Listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup (1600m) while debutant Steel Trap contests the Moorundi Classic (900m), the first two-year-old race of the season in South Australia.
Clarken is confident all three horses can run well.
He said The Map was back on target after missing the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington last week after signs of mucus were displayed following a gallop in the lead-up to that race.
Clarken said after working the mare this week she was right to travel where MacGillivray and a team of owners will be at Caulfield to cheer the mare on.
On the home front, Clarken expects Thirsty Guest to be prominent in the Murray Bridge Gold Cup.
A five-time winner from 18 starts, with a further seven placings, the son of So You Think will be having his second run back following a break.
Thirsty Guest was placed in the Listed C S Hayes Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville in March before running fifth to Air Assault at that track 12 days later.
At his only run since, Thirsty Guest finished third behind Aviatress over 1250m at Morphettville Parks on September 21.
“He ran here over the Carnival in Adelaide, but he pulled-up with an injury,” Clarken said.
“He had surgery to remove bone chips from both knees and he had his first-up run at the Parks three weeks ago, which just had a redlight on it.
“Second-up, his record is so good. The Murray Bridge Cup has always been his target, and he’s got 54 kilos on his back.
“I’m expecting him to run very well, and we’ve also got a two-year-old in also having its first start.
“It’s by a first season sire (King’s Legacy) and she looks like she has very good ability, so we could have a very good day.”
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