3 minute read
He may not be the biggest horse heading to the races on Saturday but the hardworking Lim’s Kosciuszko is still the one to beat in the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m).
What the three-time Group 1-winning star of trainer Daniel Meagher's stable lacked in stature, he made up for it with an exemplary work ethic that has seen the reigning Singapore Horse of the Year not missed a beat for nearly 18 months.
In fact, since a spell back in June 2021 - when Meagher thought he could use a break instead of tackling the three-year-old feature races - Lim's Kosciuszko has raced 14 times for 10 wins, including one overseas where he was unsuccessful at his raid in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in December last year.
Most pundits thought another well-deserved break might have been on the cards after what was a tough international trip when unplaced against the world's best sprinters, but less than two months later, Lim's Kosciuszko was back at doing what he does best – winning races at Kranji.
The win in the Group 3 Merlion Trophy (1200m) on February 4 was his first start on the Polytrack and that added another string to the versatile galloper's bow. Following that, the five-year-old son of Kermadec won the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) on March 25 in emphatic style.
Although without a "holiday" since November 2021, Lim's Kosciuszko is again the red-hot favourite to add a fourth Group 1 to his name on Saturday. With a race record that currently stands at 17 starts for 13 wins, he is arguably one of the best horse Singapore has seen since the iconic Rocket Man.
"He's a champion, that's for sure," said Meagher on Tuesday.
"And I think for this generation of racegoers, he has the record that puts him up there with the best.
"That does put a bit of pressure on me and the stable as we have a responsibility to not only (owner) Mr Lim (Siah Mong), but the racegoers as well beacuse he has really grabbed their attention.
"I'm not great with emotions - I get a bit toey and hard to live with in the weeks before a big race, so apologies to (wife) Sabrina as she has to put up with me at home.
"And the staff too. I'm always watching (groom) Sham and (track rider) Razif (Rahman) when Lim's Kosciuszko is in race mode – which he always is – and I think they fear me a little bit before the big races.
"They do such a great job, but again, we don't want to let anyone down with this horse. It's exciting, but the sense of responsibility is there for sure. In saying that, I'd rather feel like this than not having a runner in the race, so all's good."
It's a feeling Meagher knew very well as he won seven Group 1 races in Singapore with Lim's Kosciuszko (three) and Lim's Lightning (four). Till now, Meagher still marvels at how "the little horse" goes about his job at the top level.
"He just doesn't miss a day's work," continued the Australian conditioner.
"We gave him a few months off back in 2021 because we thought he needed it as a three-year-old, but he's such a worker that we haven't really had the saddle off him since.
"And because he's always fit and happy, we have stuck with just giving him one trial before the race. He had one trial before the Merlion (Trophy) and one before the Raffles (Cup), even though I was tempted to give him two.
"Not changing that routine now and you could see from his trial the other day (finished third to King Arthur in trial no 3 on May 11) just how well he is doing.
"I expected him to trial like that, not much of a blow as he's race-fit and (jockey) Jimmy (Wong Chin Chuen) was really happy with him.
"He's (Lim's Kosciuszko) ready but to be truthful, anyone could train this horse!"
While that may be the case, Meagher's polish has been on show for all to see over the last few years and he is delighted to be saddling good horses in good races for the Lim's Stable.
"No one is more passionate about Singapore racing than Mr Lim and if anyone deserves success at the top level, it's him," said Meagher, whose father and ex-Kranji trainer John also trained for the Lim's Stable.
"He comes to Kranji every race day whether he has one Class 5 runner or a runner in a Group race. I don't think there has been a more consistent owner in Singapore for the last twenty years.
"So to train both Lim's Kosciuszko and Lim's Lightning for Mr Lim is a real honour and something I'm proud of."
Meagher also reported that last year's Kranji Mile winner Lim's Lightning had an injury setback but hopes the four-time Group 1 winner will be back at the races by the end of the year.
"He had an operation on his fetlock, which had been an issue since he arrived in Singapore," he said.
"When it (the injury) reared its ugly head again, we thought the best thing to do by the horse was to operate and give him plenty of time to recover.
"He should be back training around August and we will take it slow and reassess in November. Touch wood he gets back to racing, as he has plenty more to offer.
"But regardless, he has a good home to go when he retires as he's been invited to Living Legends.
"It will be a great honour as he will be the first horse in Singapore to retire there."
Living Legends is an equine welfare initiative that was designed and created for retired Australian-bred champion racehorses in Victoria, Australia. Current inhabitants include three-time world's champion sprinter Silent Witness, 2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin, 2018 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation and Lucky Nine, a two-timer winner of the now-defunct KrisFlyer International Sprint in 2013 and 2014.
