Look Meagher, Dubai's calling
Lim’s Lightning invited to emirate’s racing carnival but trainer prefers World Cup Night
Lim’s Lightning, the highest-rated and most versatile galloper in Singapore, is going places.
The only horse to win the Lion City Cup (1,200m), Raffles Cup (1,600m) and Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) – all this year – has been invited to the prestigious international Dubai Racing Carnival.
The Carnival features eight weeks of racing, worth more than US$7.5 million (S$10.1 million) in prize money, and will be from Jan 13 to Super Saturday on March 5.
This will be followed by the US$30.5 million Dubai World Cup Night on March 26. The meeting boasts six Group 1 races, with the US$12 million Dubai World Cup as the highlight, and three Group 2 events. The minimum purse is US$1 million.
Daniel Meagher (pronounced Ma), the trainer of the Lim’s Stable-owned Lim’s Lightning, has received an invitation for the Carnival. But he is more interested in the World Cup meeting.
“Lim’s Lightning is really well, very happy with him. He has got an invitation for the Dubai Racing Carnival, but I am not going to the Carnival,” said the 38-year-old, who is in Australia visiting family with his wife, former Singapore jockey Sabrina Kadir, son Caiden and daughter Harper.
“It’s highly likely that he will get an invite in the Dubai World Cup night. It’s not 100 per cent confirmed, so we’ll run him on Jan 14 or 15 – Class 1 1,200m.
“Then he’ll run in the 1,400m race on the second of February and then he’ll run in the Class 1 1,600m at the end of February.
“And, if he gets an invitation to Dubai World Cup Night, he’ll be running on March 26 in Dubai.”
In the meantime, Meagher, the youngest of three sons of former Singapore-based Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher, will concentrate on Singapore.
“We’ll keep him ticking over. He’s going really well, he’s up and about and he’s very well within himself. So, we’ll run him here and, if he is still in the form that he was this season, we might think of going to Dubai.”
After that, his champion – a horse he describes as very genuine, very consistent, very tough and tries so hard in his races – will attempt to go one better in the Group 1 $1 million Kranji Mile on May 21. In May, he lost to Minister.
Meagher, who had a great 2021 season by finishing third in the Singapore trainers’ premiership with 35 winners and has the second highest winning average, is looking forward to another stellar year. Racing resumes on Sunday.
He could well be staring at a first Champion Trainer’s title with his progress as a trainer and the support that he has.
Furthermore, reigning champion Mark Walker, who has the biggest string of horses, is returning to New Zealand to be the head trainer of the powerful Te Akau operations. This leaves only this year’s runner-up and last season’s champion, Michael Clements, standing in his way.
Stable jockey Danny Beasley, who finished runner-up in the riders’ premiership, had said that he would help develop Meagher’s stable in the hope of a first champion trainer’s title for his “strong friend”.
“Premiership? Of course, that’s what every trainer wants to do. No matter whether they say it or not, we all want to win a premiership. That’s everybody’s dream,” said Meagher.
“Like I have said, they might not say it, but if they’re close enough when it comes to the finishing line, they want to win it. If you are a long way off, it doesn’t mean anything.
“We finished in the top three. We are very proud of that – our strike rate was fantastic and our three Group 1s with a horse that won from 1,200m to 2,000m. Lim’s Lightning is an amazing horse, he has done a great job for our stable.”
But, true to his style, Meagher always shares the accolades. He never misses his gratitude for the people behind the scene.
“Most importantly, I want to keep my staff happy, I want to keep my staff interested and motivated,” he said.
“Every single day, I am very proud of my staff. It’s really a massive team effort and, if we win a premiership, it’s not about me, it’s not about Danny, it’s not about anybody, but our stable.
“It’s about all of us put together. Winning the premiership is a dream, I would love to achieve it. But the main thing is to get the best from every single horse , be it Class 1 or Class 5.”
Well said, Dan. May your dream come true
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