Meagher, Lim’s, Callow reunite

ADELAIDE – Former Kranji trainer Daniel Meagher says it will be like getting the old band back together when Lim’s Saltoro runs in Adelaide on Aug 8.

Lim’s Saltoro heads to Morphettville on Aug 8 to run in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1,200m), where he will be partnered by Noel Callow.

Meagher and his Melbourne Cup-winning trainer father John Meagher trained many horses for the Lim’s Stable of Lim Siah Mong, during the early 2000s with the likes of Group 1 winners Lim’s Classic and Lim’s Objective.

After Meagher Sr left Singapore in 2011, the youngest son returned to Kranji in 2016, soon linking back up with Lim with former legendary jockey Mick Dittman as the racing manager.

The younger Meagher soon had his breakout years with champion horses like Lim’s Lightning, and of course, Lim’s Kosciuszko.

Lim’s Saltoro was hailed as one of his future stars but the axe fell on Singapore racing in 2024, with Meagher forced to return home to continue his career, along with some of the better Lim’s horses, including Lim’s Kosciuszko and Lim’s Saltoro.

Callow fits into that puzzle through his close bond with Lim during his short but successful stint from 2007 to 2008, especially with 2008 Singapore Derby winner Top Spin, who was prepared by the late Singapore multiple-champion trainer Laurie Laxon.

“It’s a full-circle moment really having Noel aboard on Saturday,” said Meagher.

“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. He appreciates team success and Noel was a team member with Mr Lim for a while and they had great success together.”

Callow just returned from a lengthy ban for racial abuse in a non-racing situation in Darwin, riding a winner at his first meeting back in Morphettville after one year. The 51-year-old has relocated from Queensland to his native Adelaide to be nearer his parents.

“It’s worked out well that Noel is in Adelaide and we’re taking this horse (Lim’s Saltoro) over,” said Meagher.

“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 is just over 12 months since Lim’s Saltoro – who won the final Singapore Derby in July 2024 – last raced after suffering an injury behind when near last at Caulfield in July 2025.

That was the fourth run of the Shamexpress seven-year-old’s only campaign in Melbourne and Meagher admitted he did not train the 10-time Singapore winner to his best ability.

“I thought he had a good campaign last time, but I trained him a bit ordinary, to be honest,” said Meagher.

“I was rushing him, wanting results straight away. I panicked a bit, and despite that he handled it okay.

“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 had four jump-outs in preparation for his return and goes into the race fit enough for a 1,200m contest at weight-for-age.

“It looks a nice race for him to kick off at this time of year, but my concern, and I hate saying it, is this weather,” said Meagher.

“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.

“Last prep he ran behind War Machine, who went on to win a Group 1, so he’s got good enough form. So I thought, this is a weight-for-age race, it’s 1,200 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 1,000-metre one this week and then a 1,400-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 1,200 (metres) and build from there.

“He’s fit enough and the barrier, nine, it’s okay. He’s a go-forward horse, first four, first half-a-dozen at that trip and I got a pretty good jockey on.” RACING AND SPORTS

Additional reporting by Michael Lee