South Australian staying star retired

South Australian staying star The Map has been retired following a disappointing performance in the Lord Reims Stakes (G3, 2600m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray made the tough call after the mare failed to produce her usual finishing burst and didn’t pull up at her best post-race.

The Alpine Eagle mare finished eighth, trailing the winner Gotta Go Guru by four-and-a-half lengths.

A $30,000 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale purchase, The Map provided her connections with a remarkable journey, highlighted by her victory in last year’s Andrew Ramsden at Flemington, which earned her a Melbourne Cup start.

She had been preparing for another shot at Adelaide Cup (G2, 3200m) glory next month after finishing a close second in the race last year to Excelleration.

Clarken said while the decision was difficult, it was made in the best interest of the six-year-old mare.

“She was below par yesterday and we made a decision on course yesterday that we would retire her,” Clarken said.

“Oopy rang me this morning and said she’s pulled up quite rough too, so the decision was made and we’ll stick by it.

“It’s been a huge ride and there was a bit of emotion there yesterday with the boys – we went out the back at Morphettville underneath the grandstand and had a drink to toast her.

“There were a few tears from some of those burly blokes.”

From 39 career starts, The Map notched nine wins and six placings, accumulating nearly $900,000 in prize money for her owners.

Clarken confirmed that the three-time Stakes winner will be offered as a broodmare at public auction ahead of the 2025 breeding season.