Dan Meagher is pondering a first-up Group One tilt with Singapore pin-ups Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec) and Lim’s Saltoro (NZ) (Shamexpress).
The gallopers, who boast 12 Gr.1 wins in Singapore between them, have returned with Meagher to Australia and are in work at his Pakenham base.
Both are slated to trial at Caulfield on Thursday, after which the trainer will make a call about whether either horse travels to Adelaide for next month’s A$1 million Gr.1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
A combination of the set-weights-and-penalties conditions of the race, as well as the way Singapore Gr.1 races are classed under Australian handicapping conditions, means both horses will likely carry between 55kg and 56kg.
“The race I’m looking at is The Goodwood,” Meagher said.
“Both horses, Lim’s Kosciuszko and Lim’s Saltoro, have had one trial each and they’ll have another trial at Caulfield on Thursday.
“The plan is to have a third trial two-and-a-half weeks later and that fits in well because it’s 10 days before The Goodwood.
“I’m under no illusions that I don’t know where they are going to fit in Australia and it’s going to be a pretty solid race, just looking at the futures markets.
“I spoke to the handicapper and it was quite interesting – I know it’s Singapore form but Lim’s Kosciuszko did race internationally and he had an international rating but it looks like he’ll carry around 55.5kg, which isn’t too bad for a horse that’s won $4 million.
“He’s won 10 Group One races in Singapore but they are classed as Listed races here, so I think he gets in really well.
“Lim’s Saltoro is a multiple Gr.1 winner in Singapore as well but again, they are classed differently here so I think he gets in with about 55kg.”
While both horses established themselves as the standout gallopers in their respective generations in Singapore, Meagher is happy to reserve judgement on how they will measure up in Australia until after their first racing campaigns.
Trelawney Stud bred Lim’s Kosciuszko, now seven, won 10 Gr.1 races from 1200m to 2000m and was crowned Singapore’s Champion Racehorse on multiple occasions.
Meagher is bullish that the younger Lim’s Saltoro, a five-year-old who won Singapore’s Triple Crown culminating in the Gr.1 Derby last year, still has some of his best racing ahead of him.
“I might be aiming a bit high for their first starts but it does work in very well from a timing perspective,” he said.
“I definitely think Saltoro has got the ability and he’s a progressive horse so I’ve got no doubt he can be a good horse here.
“Twelve months ago, Kosciuszko would have been right in that Group level for sure but he’s a bit older now and he hasn’t raced for six months so I don’t know.
“They don’t lose their ability, but you don’t get faster as you get older.”
