Fitzsimmons hits rare quartet

Tim Fitzsimmons has joined Michael Clements in the elite band of only two trainers to have saddled the quartet in a Kranji race on June 30.

Amazingly, it was almost two years to the day that Clements, the 2020 Singapore champion trainer who retired in 2023, pulled off the unprecedented feat with Prosperous Return leading a stable queue-up from Quarter Back, Spirit Of Big Bang and Karisto in a Kranji Stakes B (1,400m) on July 2, 2022.

Not many thought another name could be etched next to Clements’ record in the history books, especially with the final pages getting written until Oct 5.

But Fitzsimmons, the Australian horseman who was himself crowned Singapore champion trainer in 2022, has emulated the Zimbabwean-born handler.

On paper, as far as statistics went, he had roughly a one-in-two chance of winning the $70,000 Class 3 (1,200m) with his quad team of Gold Star, Mt Niseko, Greatham Boy and Hurricane from a field of nine runners.

But any notion of a 1-2-3-4 did not even cross his mind, let alone any hope of beating odds-on favourite Pacific Vampire.

Deep down, however, should the bubble burst again for the $8 shot and impressive early two-from-two winner (he came undone at his last two starts), Fitzsimmons held out a silent hope from at least half of his team, Greatham Boy ($24) and Mt Niseko ($22).

He soon found out that in shooting for the stars in racing, they do align once in a blue moon.

Pacific Vampire (Daniel Moor), who had called the tune without any untoward sign before, inexplicably fell in a heap at the 300m yet again.

That was only half the script covered, but to Fitzsimmons’ delight, it was his two top picks, Greatham Boy (Ryan Curatolo) and Mt Niseko (Chad Schofield) who led the cavalry charge – and to his even greater surprise, with $220 shot Gold Star (Ruan Maia) and $339 rank outsider Hurricane (Darren Danis) in tow.

The “Fitzsimmons Four” finished in that order with Greatham Boy the winner by one length, and two lengths top to bottom.

“I’m very happy with the quartet, especially the top two, and the next two a nice bonus,” said Fitzsimmons, who rang up a double with Dancing Light (Schofield, $18) in the last race, a $50,000 Class 4 (1,000m).

“I’m not surprised with the win as I knew Greatham Boy would run well. I just wasn’t sure if he could beat the favourite.

“Just from the way that horse won his early races, even Golden Monkey (Fitszimmons’ stable star) would have struggled to beat him.”

A Group 3 winner of the 2023 Singapore Golden Horsehoe (1,200m) as a two-year-old, Greatham Boy would have been a close juvenile contender with Silo had a two-year-old award been up for grabs last year.

The son of Stratosphere, however, did not rise to the occasion in the 2024 3YO races, giving the impression he may have burned out.

But he bounced back with a vengeance under Schofield in a Class 4 (1,200m) on Kranji Mile day, and has now doubled the dose, even when up in class.

“It’s taken a little while for me to work him out. We had to ride him a lot quieter,” said Fitzsimmons, who, interestingly, took over Greatham Boy from Clements at his exit in September.

“It was a 10-out-of-10 ride by Chad last time, now Ryan. We may look at the Lion City Cup.”

The Group 1 Lion City Cup (1,200m) on July 28 is Singapore’s premier sprint which Fitzsimmons has won thrice as assistant trainer to Cliff Brown, with Zac Spirit (2014, 2016) and Inferno (2020).

Curatolo, who keeps building on his win-tally with Fitzsimmons, had been praying the long course would find Pacific Vampire out.

“I thought that on the long course, maybe we might be able to beat Pacific Vampire,” said the French jockey.

“I was actually very confident. I knew they’d go very fast, there’d be a lot of speed.

“I know my horse well as I’ve ridden him in trackwork. I just had to take a seat and take my time.

“He’s a horse who improves through the race, and has to come from behind.

“I didn’t want to put too much pressure on him early. I just had to find the happy medium for him.

“In the straight, he kicked with a strong acceleration.”

manyan@sph.com.sg