Trainer Dan Meagher is anticipating a reunion of sorts as Lim’s Saltoro prepares for its Adelaide campaign.
Lim’s Saltoro is slated to race at Morphettville this Saturday in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m), with Noel Callow taking the reins.
Meagher, the son of legendary Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher, spent a significant tenure in Singapore. He initially served as one of his father’s key lieutenants before establishing his own successful training career, eventually relocating to Melbourne when racing ceased in Singapore.
During the late 2000s, Callow rode in Singapore and formed a strong connection with local businessman Lim Siah Mong, who had horses with a number of stables, including Meagher senior’s.
Later, the younger Meagher became the primary handler for Lim’s horses, and Lim’s Saltoro was transferred to Meagher’s Melbourne stable when racing concluded in Singapore.
“It’s a full-circle moment really having Noel aboard on Saturday,” Meagher conveyed.
“He rode plenty of winners for Dad and plenty of winners for Mr Lim.”
“When I informed Mr Lim that we’d be able to get Noel Callow, he was happy about that.”
“Mr Lim is a loyal person, and he appreciates team success and Noel was a team member with Mr Lim for a while and they had great success.”
“It’s worked out well that Noel is in Adelaide and we’re taking this horse over.”
“I think Noel will suit this horse too. He’s a very laid-back customer and Noel being Noel, he won’t let him think too much which will be ideal for him.”
It has been just over a year since Lim’s Saltoro last took to the track, having suffered an injury when finishing towards the rear at Caulfield in July last year.
That was the fourth start of Lim’s Saltoro’s only Melbourne preparation, and Meagher admitted that his training approach had not been optimal.
“I thought he had a good campaign last time, but I trained him a bit ordinary, to be honest,” Meagher confessed.
“I was rushing him, wanting results straight away, and I panicked a bit, and despite that he handled it OK.”
“But at his last start he pulled up with an issue behind which required a long spell but he’s 100 per cent right now.”
Lim’s Saltoro has completed four jump-outs in preparation for his return and is considered fit enough for a 1200-metre weight-for-age event.
“It looks a nice for him to kick off at this time of year, but my concern, and I hate saying it, is this weather,” Meagher commented.
“It’s going to be wet, and I hope it doesn’t rain too much more, because I don’t really know. He’s handled trials well on wet tracks, but it is different on race days.”
In his previous preparation, Lim’s Saltoro finished behind War Machine, a horse that went on to win a Group 1. Meagher noted that the horse possesses good enough form for this weight-for-age race over 1200 metres.
“If I ran him in a benchmark 100, he might be giving up-and-coming nice horses weight, but there wasn’t a suitable one around.”
“There was a 1000-metre one this week and then a 1400-metre one in a few weeks, but they weren’t suitable as I want to kick him off short, so we’ll run him over 1200 (metres) and build from there.”
“He’s fit enough and the barrier, nine, it’s OK.”
“He’s a go forward horse, first four, first half-a-dozen at that trip and I got a pretty good jockey on.”
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