'HEART SAYS KOSI, HEAD SAYS SALTORO'

On weights, Lim's No. 2 seed gets the nod, but stable star is still Meagher's favourite

- Michael Lee

Anywhere around the world, trainers usually dodge any requests to state their preference if they have more than one horse in a race.

Either they do not want to jinx the result, or they do not want to be seen favouring one of them.

But Daniel Meagher promptly replied when asked who he would pick between Lim's Kosciuszko and Lim's Saltoro, the likely first and second favourites, in the Group 1 Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) on Oct 5.

It is a $1.38 million golden question most would decline to answer under normal circumstances.

But the circumstances under which this renewal of the timehonoured feature will be run are anything but normal.

Besides being one of the most coveted local classics - if not the most it will also be the last race ever run in Singapore.

Even if a trainer saddles just a long shot in the capacity 16-horse field, just holding a ticket to arguably the most historical two minutes in the 182 years of Singapore racing is a feeling worth bottling up.

Well-known for being a bundle of nerves in the lead-up to a big race, Meagher was, however, refreshingly candid about finding a margin between his two stable royalties.

"My heart says Kosi, my head says Saltoro," said Meagher.