Fitzsimmons on fire
Trainer's second career-treble has taken him to fourth on the premiership table
Trainer Tim Fitzsimmons is certainly flying this season - after a quiet late start in 2019 with no winners from nine runners and five winners from 95 runners last season.
His second career-treble with Miracle, Hero and Stunning Cat on Saturday has seen him overtake Hideyuki Takaoka and Shane Baertschiger to be fourth on the trainer's premiership table with 27 winners from 239 runners.
It sure is a big improvement - from No. 26 of 27 trainers last year to his current position.
Interestingly, the Australian's big haul was achieved with horses who were not really prominent in the market. His first hat-trick on June 5 were with well-fancied winners - Don De La Vega ($14), Boomba ($23) and Relentless ($20).
Buffalo Stable's Miracle paid $37 for the win in Saturday's opener, the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 over the Polytrack 1,200m.
He was the first leg of a four-timer for French jockey Marc Lerner, who rounded up a grand harvest with Hard Too Think in the $300,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
After a third with Resurgence in the second, Fitzsimmons' Hero, also owned by Buffalo Stable, surprised to pay $94 in the $75,000 Novice event over 1,400m on turf in Race 5.
Two races later, he saddled $63 winner Stunning Cat, owned by his own Bulldogs Racing Stable, in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race 1,200m on turf.
"It's great to train two winners for my biggest supporter, Buffalo Stable, and one for myself and my wife," said Fitzsimmons.
"All ran well, including Resurgence. It's been an amazing day, a big thank you to my staff."
The best of his winning trio, Stunning Cat had already proven to be a handy moneyspinner with four wins for Baertschiger and now two for the deputy of trainer Cliff Brown.
Stunning Cat has amassed about $260,000 in prize money.
Held in a midfield spot by leading apprentice jockey Hakim Kamaruddin, the seven-year-old produced the best finish when angled to the outside in the last 400m.
Hitting top gear, Stunning Cat wheeled away for a comfortable 2¾-length win from the late closing The August. The winning time was 1min 9.77sec.
Fitzsimmons attributed the win to Hakim, who leads the overall premiership table with 53 winners.
"He allowed the horse to switch off and relax," he said. "He showed a strong finish at the end. The key to this horse is to jump and sit, and get him to switch off.
"Last time, he was caught in between horses and he didn't like that."
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