Dan Meagher has opted for a more measured approach as Lim’s Kosciuszko prepares to launch his Australian career, bypassing a Group 1 target in favour of Saturday’s Listed Straight Six (1200m) down the Flemington straight.
Initially aiming for The Goodwood at Morphettville, Meagher reassessed the challenge of an eight-hour float trip and a top-level sprint for a horse yet to race in Australia.
“I think I should lower my sights a little bit,” Meagher said. “Going to The Goodwood, it would have been an eight-hour trip there and an eight-hour trip back. It was a proper Group 1 race, a good field, and he would have been having his first Australian run.”
Lim’s Kosciuszko brings an imposing record from Singapore with 22 wins from 29 starts, along with a single appearance in Hong Kong. But Meagher admits he wants to assess the gelding under local conditions before jumping into elite company.
“I thought he was peaking last year, or the year before, and I need to make sure that he’s going as well as we know he can, so to take him eight hours away, for a Group 1, was probably the wrong thinking,” he said. “So instead, I’m going to run him on Saturday, up the straight at Flemington.”
While racing down the Flemington straight and travelling to the races by float are both firsts for the seven-year-old, Meagher has taken steps to prepare him with three jump-outs, two of which were at away venues, to familiarise him with the process.
“Winners like him, and he’s won some good races, should not be affected,” Meagher said. “If he’s going good enough, he will show up in that race and I wouldn’t think the straight would be a huge negative.”
Reflecting on the decision to skip the Group 1 in Adelaide, Meagher considered the advice of his father, Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher.
“He always said that you put your horses in the lowest grade and yourself in the best grade,” Meagher noted. “I have a little question mark on him now, mainly because of his age. He’s not getting any faster, and maybe he’s getting a bit slower, so I didn’t want to butcher him in a Group 1 and make him look bad.”
Meagher confirmed Lim’s Kosciuszko has been nominated for the upcoming Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) and Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm, pending a strong performance this weekend.
“He’s been good to me, so we’ll see how he is, and we can head off to Brisbane if he ticks the box,” Meagher said.
As punters await Lim’s Kosciuszko’s highly anticipated debut on Australian soil, they can explore the latest odds and feature race markets via our trusted betting sites guide.
