A former leading galloper in Singapore is set to make his Australian debut.
Former Singapore trainer Tim Fitzsimmons will learn a bit more about the best horse he has trained when Golden Monkey makes his Australian debut at Echuca.
Golden Money lines up in the Country Discovery (1000m) on Friday, his first start after a successful career in Singapore that netted the gelding eight wins from 31 starts and a further 16 placings.
Fitzsimmons had a successful five-year stint before racing closed down in October last year and Golden Monkey is one of 10 horses that came back with him from Singapore late last year.
He prepared 194 winners in Singapore before relocating to Australia and has one victory from only five runners since setting up at Singapore.
“Monkey has been my best horse,” Fitzsimmons said.
“He was champion three-year-old, champion four-year-old and he won the Derby and if it wasn’t for Lim’s Kosciuszko, he would probably be the best horse up there.
“It was a bit like Hay List and Black Caviar. I think at the end he ran second to him in five Group 1’s, but he won five Group races himself, so he’s a handy horse, but he could just never get past him.”
While successful over the 1800m of the Singapore Derby, Fitzsimmons said Golden Monkey was at his best over journeys between 1200m and 1400m.
Fitzsimmons concedes the 1000m on Friday is probably going to be too short for Golden Monkey, but he will be looking for the sprinter to, hopefully, be hitting the line strongly.
“He needs a fast pace on, needs to be ridden quiet, so he does need luck,” Fitzsimmons said.
“If he can get a suck run through them and get out late, he’s got a really good last 350-metre sprint.
“We would have preferred 1100 or 1200, but it’s a nice starting point and then if he runs well in that then we’ll run him in the Wagga Town Plate over 1200 metres.
“We want to see where he’s at early. We’re not aiming for the skies as he’s an older horse now.
“There’s a race up on the Sunshine Coast, The Glasshouse, over 1400 metres, that might be alright for him later on.
“With his rating, he’s up with the big boys, but I was really happy with how he’s trialled.”
Fitzsimmons said he had a measuring stick with The Inferno who was a champion sprinter of his era in Singapore.
The Inferno was prepared by Cliff Brown who Fitzsimmons was assistant-trainer to for 12 years before taking out his own licence.
“The Inferno did really well when he first came back. He nearly won a Group 1,” Fitzsimmons said.
“He was probably a little bit better than Golden Monkey, but we’ll learn a bit more on Friday.”
