Third-time lucky for Golden Monkey?
Kranji Stakes A test to prep Fitzsimmons’ galloper for another tilt at Lion City Cup
Golden Monkey will line up in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race (1,200m) on July 7 as a final warm-up, before he attempts to make it third-time lucky in the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1,200m) on July 28.
Now the second highest-rated galloper in Singapore after Lim’s Kosciuszko, the Tim Fitzsimmons-trained gelding placed in the last two instalments of Singapore’s premier sprint race, both times behind winner Lim’s Kosciuszko.
Although the Kranji Stakes A race has only six nominations, with Golden Monkey as the highest-rated horse on 105 points, it will still be a good guide towards the Lion City Cup, with the Steven Burridge-trained Ghalib (103) also in the field.
On Aug 14, 2022, the son of Star Turn finished third in the Lion City Cup as a four-year-old with two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Mark Zahra in the irons, but he had excuses not to finish closer to the Daniel Meagher-trained Lim’s Kosciuszko.
In 2023, barely a month after winning the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1,800m) on July 23, Golden Monkey ran a bottler in the Lion City Cup, with jockey Hugh Bowman in the saddle, but had to settle for second behind his nemesis, Lim’s Kosciuszko.
Now with Lim’s Kosciuszko almost certain to have a crack at a third straight victory in the Lion City Cup in 2024, Fitzsimmons hopes a slight change in plans and a big run on July 7 can see Golden Monkey rain on the “Kosi” parade.
“It wasn’t in the original plans,” said the 2022 Singapore champion trainer.
“But he (Golden Monkey) came through his last race (Kranji Stakes A over 1,400m on June 16) really well and we thought this run would be ideal, given it’s held three weeks before the Lion City Cup.
“If he didn’t run in this, he would have had a trial next week anyway. It’s a small field on July 7 and he can pick up a decent cheque; so it’s definitely the better option.
“We know it’s a really big ask to beat Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Lion City Cup – God knows we have tried – but our boy will give it a shake.
“I don’t think we would have beaten Kosi in 2022, but he had only turned four and did it tough (wide) in the running, so I thought it was a massive effort.
“His run last year was as good as it could have been but it’s no disgrace to be beaten by a horse like Kosi.
“But who knows this year? Not many more honest than Golden Monkey. I think he has only missed a top-four finish once in 22 starts (ran ninth in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1,200m on Jan 23, 2023), so he deserves anything that comes his way.”
Of the immediate assignment, Fitzsimmons hopes to turn the tables on Ghalib, who beat Golden Monkey into second in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1,400m on June 16, with a more genuine pace expected over six furlongs.
“I am hoping for a more genuine pace this time,” he explained.
“Hopefully, the horses who have led in the past will do so again and there is some early speed in the race. The tempo beat Golden Monkey at his last start.
“In saying that, small fields can be tricky and jockey Ryan Curatolo will play it (the pace) by ear and we may ride him a little differently.”
On the Singapore Derby front, Fitzsimmons was very happy with how Lightning Strike hit the line in the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) on June 30 and will be “cherry ripe” for the Group 1 test on July 21.
“I was rapt with that run,” he said of the Impending son’s fourth-place finish to Lim’s Saltoro.
“They went slow mid-race and when they sprinted, he was caught flat-footed, so they put a couple of lengths on him but he hit the line as good as anything.
“We always thought that Lightning Strike was going to be an 1,800m horse and he will get his chance in a few weeks or so.”
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