Adelaide set for reunion of old racing firm in Behemoth Stakes

Trainer Dan Meagher expressed his anticipation of a familiar reunion as Lim's Saltoro prepares to race in Adelaide.

Lim's Saltoro is scheduled to compete at Morphettville on Saturday in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes over 1200 metres, with Noel Callow to partner the horse.

Meagher, son of the esteemed Melbourne Cup-winning trainer John Meagher, accumulated extensive experience in Singapore. He initially served as one of his father's key assistants before rising to become a leading trainer himself, ultimately relocating to Melbourne when Singapore decided to cease horse racing.

During the latter part of the 2000s, Callow rode in Singapore and forged a connection with prominent Singaporean businessman Lim Siah Mong, who engaged multiple stables, including Meagher senior's.

Subsequently, the younger Meagher became the primary trainer for Lim's horses, and Lim's Saltoro made the move to Melbourne with Meagher when racing concluded in Singapore.

"It's a full-circle moment really having Noel aboard on Saturday," Meagher commented.

"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 competed, having sustained an injury after finishing near the rear at Caulfield in July last year.

That particular race marked the fourth outing of Lim's Saltoro's sole Melbourne preparation, and Meagher confessed that his training approach was not optimal.

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

"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 undergone four jump-outs in readiness for his comeback and is deemed sufficiently conditioned for a 1200-metre weight-for-age race.

"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 noted.

"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 claim a Group 1 victory. Meagher indicated that the horse has competitive form, especially considering it's a 1200-metre weight-for-age event.

"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."

Looking to back a runner in the Behemoth Stakes? Explore the leading online bookmakers for competitive racing odds.