Lim’s Kosciuszko showcased his prowess by clinching consecutive victories in the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) on Saturday.
The triumph marked the eight Group 1 victories for the 2023 Kranji Mile champion, spanning distances from 1200m to 2000m, establishing one of the most remarkable records among top contenders in recent Singapore racing history.
As the Daniel Meagher-trained six-year-old, known for his dominance in set-weight races, took the track as the $7 favorite, the Steven Burridge-trained Street Of Dreams saw late betting action, shifting to $32.
Street Of Dreams (Bernardo Pinheiro), breaking from barrier eight, surged early to lead, with Lim’s Kosciuszko (Marc Lerner) tracking closely and Super Salute (Manoel Nunes) in third.
Following pre-race instructions, jockey Chad Schofield positioned the $28 second favorite, Golden Monkey, at the rear from gate 10, creating a 12-length spread across the ten-horse field in the backstretch.
At the 600m mark, Street Of Dreams faltered, leaving Lim’s Kosciuszko vulnerable at the front on the Long Course, with contenders lining up behind, poised to challenge.
Lerner bided his time until the 300m mark before unleashing Lim’s Kosciuszko, who swiftly created a three-length lead, while Dream Alliance (Mark Zahra) surged from the outside in a final attempt to challenge.
Despite Dream Alliance’s late push, Lim’s Kosciuszko maintained his lead, winning by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Trainer Tim Fitzsimmons, whose stable had faced Lim’s Kosciuszko's dominance in multiple Group 1 races, secured the minor placings, with Golden Monkey finishing two lengths behind in third, followed by Raising Sixty-One (Bruno Queiroz) in fourth.
The winning time stood at 1 min 34.21 secs for the 1600m on the Long Course, bringing Lim’s Kosciuszko's total winnings close to $3.2 million for the Lim’s Stable.
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