Dan Meagher wins another Lion City Cup

The day didn’t start off well for trainer Dan Meagher but, by the time the dust had settled on the 2022 edition of the Group 1 Lion City Cup, Meagher had claimed back-to-back wins in Singapore’s prestigious feature race, courtesy of a storming performance by Lim’s Kosciuszko.

The win also gave Meagher and Lim’s Kosciuszko a notable Singapore Derby / Lion City Cup Group 1 double.

This was after another possible big race double attempt by the stable was denied without a throw at the stumps in a drama filled morning which saw Lim’s Lightning, the Meagher trained, Singapore Horse Of The Year and last year’s Lion City Cup winner, scratched from the race after being found to be lame in his off-hind.

That still left Meagher with three runners in the race with Lim’s Kosciuszko, ridden by Wong Chin Chuen, looking to be the pick of them … and so it proved as the son of Kermadec pounced in the home straight to get the better of King Arthur, who was the only horse he still had to gun down inside the final 300m, to go on to score by just under a length.

“I’ve got a lot of people to thank. (Owner) Mr Lim (Siah Mong), (racing manager of Lim’s Stable) Mick (Dittman), and most importantly, the staff, as well as a really special mention for (jockey) Danny Beasley,” Meagher said in the post-race interview. “CC (Chin Chuen) has done a great job and I’m so rapt for Mr Lim and all the staff.”

“He’s (Beasley) a massive part of this and I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.”

Beasley was due to ride Lim’s Lightning in the Lion City Cup, but, with the late scratching, Beasley, he had to watch the race from the sidelines.

The Donna Logan trained King Arthur was very game in second place, under a terrific ride from Blake Shinn, while the Tim Fitzsimmons trained Green Monkey, with Mark Zahra in the saddle, claimed a creditable third place.

While Donna Logan did miss out on the big prize in the main feature, she did have a big day out winning four races on the card, with three of her winners being piloted by apprentice Fadzli Yusoff.

Logan now leads the Singapore Trainer’s Premiership by one win while Yusoff’s treble cemented his place at the top of the Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership which he now leads by four winners.