Trainer Daniel Meagher already has two Singapore Gold Cup silverware sitting in his trophy cabinet but winning a third one at the $1.38 million Group 1 Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) this Saturday will be significant.
The young Australian handler first won the iconic feature handicap race with the now retired Lim’s Lightning in 2021 before taking it out a second time last year with Lim’s Kosciuszko, the current kingpin of Singapore.
Now a 10-time Group 1 winner, the seven-year-old son of Kermadec carried the top weight of 58kgs to hold off Dream Alliance by a short head last November. He will carry the same top weight this time, but no topweight has won the Singapore Gold Cup twice, so history and the handicaps are against the Lim’s Stable-owned champion.
There is also the weight of expectations coming from adoring fans. While his stablemate and two-time Group 1 winner Lim’s Saltoro will take some of the pressure off, all eyes will be on Lim’s Kosciuszko at his attempt to score back-to-back victories in the Grand Singapore Gold Cup on Saturday.
Meagher, for one, would love to be at the forefront when it comes to history in the making.
“Whoever wins this race, it will be the most special thing they have done in their racing career,” said Meagher.
“It’s the last Singapore Gold Cup; that’s history right there. I’d love to win it and I’d love for ‘Kosi’ (Lim’s Kosciuszko) to win it.
“It’s so tough though to carry top weight again and he’s a year older. but he’s comfortable with life, even bordering on lazy now.
“I’m fine with that though. He’s very intelligent and understands what he has to do at trackwork. Good horses do that.
“You can see that in his trial the other day (finished fourth in trial no 2 to King Of Sixty-One on 26 September). For him, there’s nothing to write home about but my only concern was how he’d pull up. He was sound and happy, which was what we wanted.
“But he’s a different animal on race days. You saw him settle when he won the (Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II) QEII Cup (over 1800m on 7 September) and (jockey) Marc (Lerner) will be doing the same on Saturday.
“He (Lim’s Kosciuszko) deserves to win it. If anything beats him, it will be the weights.”
Under the handicap conditions of the Grand Singapore Gold Cup, Lim’s Kosciuszko will give the second highest-rated horse and his heir apparent Lim’s Saltoro (x Shamexpress) a critical six kilos, and eight kilos to 11 of the other runners in the capacity field of 16.
It would be a tough ask indeed for the ‘little horse’, with Meagher pointing to Lim’s Saltoro as the obvious danger.
“My heart says ‘Kosi’ but my brain says (Lim’s) Saltoro,” said Meagher.
“He (Lim’s Saltoro) had a tough week before the QEII (Cup) and I thought his run was exceptional (ran fourth).
“He beat ‘Kosi’ in the (Group 1) Raffles Cup (over 1600m on 11 August) at his previous start. Both those races were (run under) weight-for-age (conditions), so he gets a massive pull in the weights on Saturday, and 2000m isn’t a problem for him.
“I can’t fault him (Lim’s Saltoro) either. He does his own things at trackwork and he always does, but we are very happy with how he is going into Saturday.
“There will be plenty of pace on; who knows what Pacific Vampire will do early? So, (jockey) CC (Wong Chin Chuen) will have him (Lim’s Saltoro) handy enough, so will Marc (Lim’s Kosciuszko).
“A better gate than last year would be nice (Lim’s Kosciuszko jumped from barrier 16) but both should settle in the first five and get their chances.
“I can’t split them, but let’s hope one can get up and win.”
Meagher will be kept busy with 15 runners on Saturday but knows it will be an emotional ending regardless of the results.
“You know me, I’ll be a wreck,” he laughed.
“This place has been my life for over 25 years. My wife (Sabrina), kids (Caiden, Harper and Vienna) and God knows how many good mates I’ve made here.
“I looked back at the photos in the office and see (ex-Kranji jockey’s) Benny (Woodworth) and Danny (Beasley), dad (ex-Kranji trainer John Meagher) and (owner) Mr Lim (Sia Mong). They were such good memories.
“Now there’s Marc and CC, who are both great friends of mine, and guys like (syce of Lim’s Kosciuszko) Sham (Samsuri Saadon) and (syce of Lim’s Saltoro) Ayie (Muhammad Masuary). They and all my staff played a huge part in my life at Kranji.
“No work come (next) Monday after so many years. I’m heartbroken but I have a job to do this week. Win, lose or draw, we will have a gathering with (trainer) Jason Ong and all our workers back at the stables on Saturday night.
“I think that’s when it will sink in.”
The gates at Singapore Turf Club will open at 10am on Saturday and the first race will kick off at 11.30am. The Grand Singapore Gold Cup will be run as the 10th and last race at 5.40pm.
By Larry Foley
