The Offer is currently on the top of 2014 Melbourne Cup betting markets and trainer Gai Waterhouse has revealed that the imported stayer has returned to trackwork in excellent condition.
The Offer is set to contest the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Offer was sent to the spelling paddock after he scored a dominant win in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 19 and Waterhouse said the Montjeu gelding had taken plenty of benefit from his stint in the paddock, but was arguably too fresh ahead of what is expected to be a lengthy 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
“The Sydney Cup winner The Offer has come back into work and he has come back super, for that matter too super,” Waterhouse said.
“He is so fresh and so full of himself that I have had to work him a second time here and change the jockey because Adam Hyernomius just said that he is off his head and he just wants to go too keen.
“To take him down a notch, I put my senior rider to get him to really concentrate and relax and it will be onward and upward.”
The Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 is the major spring target for The Offer, but Waterhouse is yet to decide what path the five-year-old will follow leading into ‘the race that stops a nation’.
Waterhouse-trained Fiorente finished third in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) before taking out the 2013 Melbourne Cup, but Waterhouse is leaning towards running The Offer in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) October 18.
The Offer was prepared by Aidan O’Brien at the start of his racing career in Ireland before joining the Waterhouse stable at the start of last year.
The tough stayer failed to fire in his maiden campaign in Australia, but stamped himself as a horse to watch with a dominant three and a half lengths win in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m) on November 24.
The Offer scored his maiden win at Group level with an outstanding staying performance in the Group 3 Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 and he was well-backed in Sydney Cup betting markets after taking out the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
Jockey Tommy Berry settled The Offer towards the middle of the field in the Sydney Cup and the imported galloper working into the race impressive when asked for an extra effort and raced away from the rest of the field after hitting the front at the 250 metre mark to score a comfortable four lengths win.
The Offer is currently available at 2014 Melbourne Cup odds of $13 with Ladbrokes Australia and is on the second line of 2014 Caulfield Cup betting markets at a quote of $15.
