Top Australian jockey Glen Boss will this Sunday slip into silks that will certainly bring back memories of one of his multiple Group 1 wins back home.
Kranji debutant Meet And Greet is raced by Brisbane Racing Club Chairman Neville Bell, who was a part-owner of 1999 AJC Derby winner Sky Heights.
The hoop donning the blue and yellow checked silks that day? Yes, you guessed it. Boss.
Daniel Meagher's Derby hope Meet And Greet makes his Kranji debut on Sunday, picture Singapore Turf Club
Trainer Daniel Meagher, who now trains Meet And Greet after taking over from his Brisbane-based father John and Mornington-based brother Chris, said it was just a happy coincidence the triple-Melbourne Cup-winning jockey has been booked to ride the Champions Gallery four-year-old in the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1200m.
But Boss was certainly hoping Meet And Greet, who was brought into Singapore with another Derby in mind - of the Singapore kind - could make him soar to the same heights.
While he has not jumped aboard Meagher’s latest recruit in trackwork, the assiduous form student has already done his homework. Boss is looking forward to his first association, but to him, it’s the second one that would be the key.
“I haven’t worked him here, but I checked his form back home and he showed good form second-up,” said Boss.
“He actually scored three of his four wins second-up. He certainly runs well fresh.
“He seems more of a mile to 2000m horse. He is owned by great connections I won the 1999 Australian Derby for with Sky Heights.
“Sky Heights was a very good horse who won the Derby going all the way.”
Meagher said Meet And Greet, who arrived in Singapore in April, had to kick off somewhere and thought Sunday’s race fitted the bill, even if it might be slightly on the sharp side.
“He’s had two trials and he’s being set for the Derby. I thought 1200m first-up would be ideal,” said the Australian handler who has also entered Walking Thunder and Goodfellas in the same race.
“Bossy will ride him. He won the Australian Derby with Sky Heights for Neville, but it had nothing to do with him getting on Meet And Greet on Sunday, besides he’s never ridden Red Claw, Neville’s other horse with us.
“In saying this, Bossy doesn’t ride often for us, but we have a very good trainer-jockey combination. He’s won three for us – all on Target.”
Rated on 72 points, Meet And Greet, a four-time winner between 1400m and 1640m in Queensland, will be taking on the likes of Queen Roulette, Lim’s Knight and Toliman on Sunday, which does not exactly represent the toughest Class 3 opposition around, but how he stacks up against them will surely give Meagher an early guide on his Derby aspirations.
The $1.15 million Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (1800m) is the third and final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge and will be run on July 15.
Meagher, who is enjoying a sensational 2018 season sitting in third place at only his second full season, on 26 winners, only two behind Shane Baertschiger, has only one feature race trophy thus far, the Group 3 El Dorado Classic (2200m) with Secret Win last October.
