f
TAGS
H

Meagher holds his own with hand-me-downs

Like any horse trainer, Daniel Meagher will always look back on his first winner Lim's Action (NZ) (Any Suggestion) as that special moment he will cherish forever, but to him, producing results from the more challenging cases is the real acid test of his ability.

The Meagher name ruled the roost at Kranji from 2001 to 2011, responsible for 577 winners, including 29 at Group level, but five years after they left, Lim's Action became the first horse to resurrect the name on May 13, 2016, but this time under that of the youngest of John Meagher's three sons.

Having spent two thirds of his life honing his craft with his Melbourne Cup-winning father in both Singapore and on the Gold Coast (in partnership with elder brother Chris), Meagher also saw in that first win from Lim's Action, a grey of modest ability in an equally modest Kranji Stakes D race, a statement of independence above all.

The apron strings have been cut off and the baby of the family has proven his worth without having to ride on the Meaghers' coattails.

But to Meagher, Lim's Action was just the first peg on that long solo flight outside the coop. Natural Impulse, the fourth of his current haul of five winners on July 22, actually meant a lot more to him.

Simply because this time, Meagher felt the win bore his own trademark – patience.

"Lim's Action was a special win as it was my first winner as a trainer in my own right, and Dad was there to see it happen," said the 33-year-old.

"But to be honest, it's Natural Impulse who gave me my biggest buzz. He's such a difficult horse to train, but I've given him plenty of time, freshened him up, just let him be happy and content, and it's paid off at his second run for me.

"Like many of my horses, he is a second-hand horse, and the key to them is to find a way to rejuvenate them. Whether it's working or not, time will tell, but right now the horses are running super, like Hee's Ego or my last winner Speed Craft, and my current strike rate of 15.15% is encouraging.

"To me, it's a great start as I started with only three horses, and we've worked extremely hard. With good support, I now have 44 and soon going on 50. I was budgeting for only 20-30, but in only four months, it's grown very quickly, more than I thought.

"With the horses I've got, the way I have somewhat turned them around, I have kept them happy and we are getting the results."

Having set a target of 10 winners by the end of the year, Meagher is already halfway there and with five months to go, he is confident he will realise his goal, but to him, this rookie year is more about keeping the owners happy and laying the foundation for future years.

"We're right on track towards 10 winners. There are new ones coming in and that should help," he said.

"I've also got good support from my staff, like Tony Lane, my right-hand man, KB (Khoon Beng) Soo, my great team of syces as well as the jockeys like Erasmus Aslam, Danny Beasley, Oscar Chavez and Saifudin Ismail. It's a great little family.

"The owners are also happy and that's because communication is a key part of it. I'm heavy in that area; good or bad news, they've got to know.

"My wife (ex-jockey Sabrina Kadir) probably thinks I spend too long at the stables, but that's the way it's got to be if you want to be successful. I know I do, coming from my background."

As much as Meagher wants to march to the beat of his own drum, he is aware his name will always cast a tall shadow over whatever he does.

"I've got a bit of a reputation to live up to as my father was so successful here. Hopefully, me too, one day," said Meagher.

"But I've really enjoyed the challenge of being by myself after having all along worked with the support of my father and brothers. I am now running my own show.

"In the meantime, I want the horses I've got to run to the top of their ability, whether it's a Class 3 or Class 4 horse.

"All my life, my father has been successful, but funnily enough, I don't feel any pressure to become like him.

"But I've always wanted to be half as successful as he was as I won't win a Melbourne Cup, Brisbane Cup or a Sydney Cup simply because I'm not there, but I want to win a Singapore Gold Cup, a Raffles Cup or a Patron's Bowl, plus have horses run overseas.

"If you don't strive for such goals, just go week to week, you might as well not be in the business, it's a waste of time.

"In saying this, every day I wake up and come to the stables, I pinch myself I'm doing this. It's a big privilege from the Singapore Turf Club which I won't let down, I want to prove to everybody it was a good move." -STC




 

This product has been added to your cart

CHECKOUT