‘Kosi’ looks invincible in $1 million Kranji Mile

All week, the hype has been on Singapore’s latest equine superstar – Lim’s Kosciuszko, affectionately known as “Kosi” to his trainer, Daniel Meagher.

The talk is like there is no other runner than the reigning Horse of the Year and triple Group 1 winner in Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile over 1,600m.

Actually, trainer Ricardo Le Grange’s classy Katak and Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup winner Hongkong Great are top horses in their own right.

With the right run, they can dislodge Kranji’s kingpin (highest rated on 113 with stablemate and 2022 Kranji Mile victor Lim’s Lightning) from his pedestal.

Katak, a triple Group 3 winner in South Africa, ran second to Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Group 1 Raffles Cup over the Kranji Mile distance in his last start on March 25.

On his Gold Cup triumph in November 2022, Hongkong Great can raise a good fight.

Both signalled their intentions by winning their trials on May 9.

Trainer Jerome Tan’s Sacred Croix always tries his best in the big races but he always came home at full throttle when it was all over.

Among his close calls were his fourth to Minister in the 2021 Kranji Mile and second to Lim’s Lightning in 2022.

The eight-year-old can be third-time lucky with Melbourne Cup-winning Mark Zahra flown in to ride him. Zahra rode Hongkong Great to win the Gold Cup.

Throw in trainer Steven Burridge’s six-straight winner Street Of Dreams and champion trainer Tim Fitzsimons’ Cyclone and Mr Black Back, and Saturday’s Kranji Mile does have quality.

But, looking at it whichever way, Lim’s Kosciuszko keeps popping up. The five-year-old son of Kermadec is a horse extraordinaire.

He has won 13 of his 17 Kranji starts and is still progressing.

He showed that again in his trial for the Kranji Mile on May 11. He finished third, travelling wide and on a tight hold. He could have won.

Even jockey Wong Chin Chuen, who rode him to win the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1,200m), Group 3 Merlion Trophy (Polytrack 1,200m) and the Raffles Cup, declared to Meagher that it was “one of his best trials”.

“He’s ready to go. It was a good trial – it was a proper trial for me,” said Meagher.

The Straits Times Racing team, who include Brian Miller and Michael Lee, are unanimous in picking “Kosi” as their top pick.

Lee even made the horse his best bet in the card of 12.

“If there were any queries whether Lim’s Kosciuszko would bounce back to his old self after the Hong Kong defeat, they could not have been answered any better by his Merlion Trophy and Raffles Cup wins, especially the latter,” said the Mauritian.

“If anything, he has come back even better, and his latest barrier trial showed he has kept thriving. At set weights, he is the horse to beat.”

From the outside camp, both of Singapore Turf Club’s Australian presenters-cum-commentators Scott Bailey and Patrick Comerford also raised their hands for “Kosi”.

“I am sticking strong with Lim’s Kosciuszko. His demolition job in the Raffles Cup last start was one of the easiest Group 1 wins I have seen in my 11 years in Singapore,” said Bailey, a former jockey and deputy trainer.

“He gets a perfect barrier (5) to position nicely again and will kick and give them something to chase.

“It’s been a remarkable training effort from Daniel Meagher to have him spot-on with decent breaks between each run. He is great for Singapore racing and I hope the champ can win again.”

Comerford reckoned “Kosi” set the tone in the Raffles Cup, and would be up to the task in any race close to level weights.

“His recent trial showed us he is on the right track. One could assume he will improve off that Raffles Cup run and, out of gate 5, he should get the perfect trip,” he said.

“His competitors may try and use the pace to get him beat, but C.C. Wong hasn’t stepped a foot wrong on him since taking over the reins.

“And he has underneath him a horse who can race wherever he pleases and has gears to use that none of these other horses have. Hard to see him being beaten.”

Well said. Good luck, “Kosi”.