Star Turn sired his fourth Stakes winner when Golden Monkey led home a quinella for the Vinery stallion in the Singapore 3YO Sprint (LR, 1200m) on Saturday.
Golden Monkey turned the tables on fellow Star Turn 3yo Silent Is Gold who had beaten him comfortably at their most recent meeting at Kranji on May 21. “That’s what we expected him to do,” a jubilant trainer Tim Fitzsimmons confirmed. “He drew wide last time and did it tough around the first turn but still put in a really good run.
“He’s come on in leaps and bounds to win by more than three lengths today. He’s a really exciting horse and clocked an amazing time (1:08.87s).”
Golden Monkey also impressed winning jockey Oscar Chavez. “I had so much horse left but just waited and waited before pressing the button. He just cruised to the front and I could have won without using the stick. Once I went for it, he just took off.”
The son of Star Turn appears to have a vice-like grip on the Singapore 3YO Classic (LR, 1400m) on July 9. Connections also have the Lion City Cup (LR, 1200m) on the radar in August.
Fitzsimmons, 40, had been part of Singapore racing for 15 years as foreman for Cliff Brown before exploding to the top of the trainers log in his own right this season. “This is my first Stakes win and it’s a huge thrill,” he said. “Josh McLoughlan put the syndicate together and many of the owners have traveled up from Australia.”
Among them are Australian Rules footballers Dane Swan, Dusty Martin, and Michael Gardner.
Golden Monkey was bred by Appin-based Howard Blight and sold through Byerley Stud (as agent) for $54,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. His dam Dixie’s Comet (Northern Meteor) won twice at the provincials for trainer David Pfieffer and her half-brother Flagship Shine (Tale Of The Cat) won six races and was Group 2 placed in Hong Kong.
Star Turn’s first-crop are coming to the end of their 3yo season and among them are 51 individual winners of 100 races. They have built a 61% strike-rate and would have broken through $7million in earnings if Miss Hipstar had an ounce of luck instead of going down a nose in the RIVER 949FM Hcp (1100m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Stewards reported Miss Hipstar; “Began awkwardly and raced in restricted room near the 900m. Held up rounding the home turn and in the early part of the home straight.”
Vinery stands Star Turn for a $27,500 (inc GST) service fee. For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
