3 minute read

Sometimes in sports, greatness is not fully appreciated until well after the event is over.

Champions are often acclaimed in retirement, but not before.

But win, lose or dead-heat in Sunday's $300,000 Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m), reigning Horse of the Year Lim's Lightning is one of the all-time greats of Singapore racing and should be lauded as such.

Numerous horses have more Group wins to their names and others – like the mighty Rocket Man - have won internationally; but no other horse in Singapore Turf Club's history has won both the Lion City Cup and the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) and in all likelyhood, no one could repeat the feat again.

So back-to-back Lion City Cup wins bookending a Singapore Gold Cup (as the topweight no less) would be unheard of, but Lim's Lightning – who also boasts a Group 1 Kranji Mile and Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) to his name - looks every chance to do just that come Sunday afternoon.

"I think I'll reflect on his career once he's retired," said his proud trainer, Daniel Meagher on Tuesday.

"What he has done is amazing – it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

"He won a Group 2 race (Golden Horseshoe) as a two-year-old, has two weight-for-age Group 1 mile races to his name and won the Gold Cup carrying topweight – I think the first since Smart Bet (2002) – that just says it all.

"So if he can win another Lion City Cup, I think he has to be up there with the best to race in Singapore – certainly the most versatile - if he's not there already."

As for the job at hand, Meagher could not be happier with how the now seven-year-old is tracking.

"Obviously it's a different preparation coming off a Kranji Mile win but we have tried to keep it similar to last year's," explained the gun trainer.

"He had two quiet trials leading into last year's race on the back of a Class 2 win over 1200m, so this year he had a freshen-up and three quiet trials and (jockey) Danny (Beasley) couldn't be happier.

"He's gotten fitter with each trial and (apprentice jockey) Fahmi (Rosman) has done a great job with him at the track and he's ready to go.

"I don't think what gate he draws will bother him either – he won from gate 13 last year – so he has every chance to go back-to-back."

His race jockey agrees.

"If he draws good, we can take up a nice position but if he draws wide, we will take our medicine and wind up like last year," said Beasley who rode Lim's Lightning to victory in 2021's edition of the Lion City Cup.

"He's really going along nicely since his win in the Kranji Mile.

"He's fitter with each trial for sure and his trial last Thursday (sixth to Katak) exceeded my expectations. His last 200m was very pleasing - so he can't be much better than he is now.

"The weight-for-age conditions sets it up for the good horses and touch wood, he is in good enough form to win."

As was the case in the Kranji Mile, Lim's Lightning 's biggest danger on paper is his stablemate, Lim's Kosciuszko, who also comes into this with a Group 1 win under his belt – the Singapore Derby over 1800m - on July 17.

"If he was any other horse, we would probably give him a break," said Meagher.

"But he just enjoys working every day and he's fit and well.

"So I spoke with (owner) Mr Lim (Siah Mong) and we came to the conclusion that he can sprint on the quick turnaround and these types of races don't come up that often.

"(Jockey) CC (Wong Chin Chuen) will ride him and you have to remember – while he won the Derby – he is a sprinter and he's relatively lightly-raced, so he should go well."

The famous blue and yellow star silks of the Lim's Stable will also be carried by Lim's Dream, who – according to Meagher - could run a race at value with jockey A'Isisuhairi Kasim up.

"He's (Lim's Dream) very underrated," said the Australian handler.

"Obviously he's had his issues and went through a bad patch but I believe we have him back to his best and his trials have been good enough to run a race at odds first-up.

"It's also great that Mr Lim has three runners in the race.

"He is one of the most loyal blokes you will meet and has been an significant owner in Singapore for over twenty years; he takes great pride in winning these big races."

Meagher has one more runner in the Sprint feature - Watch Out Boss – who he happens to own as well.

"He's (Watch Out Boss) a beautiful old horse who has been good to me," said Meagher of the seven-year-old who has been off the racing scene for just under a year.

"Danny trialled him recently and said 'why not' and hopefully he will get back and run on into some of the minor prizemoney with (apprentice jockey) Krisna (Thangamani) riding."

The Meagher stable has won both Group 1 races this year – the Kranji Mile and the Singapore Derby with Lim's Lightning and Lim's Kosciuszko respectively - and a third Group 1 with a win in Lion City Cup would be put down squarely to a team effort.

"The team is outstanding – I'm not the easiest to deal with – and they cross the t's and dot the i's with all the horses in the stable and it just makes my job so much easier."