Ten of Kranji’s best four-year-olds go to post in Sunday’s (17 July) S$400,000 SIN G1 Singapore Derby (1800m) and leading trainer Tim Fitzsimmons has his eye on the prize after a momentous month of big-race success.

It’s been a rapid rise for Fitzsimmons, who sent out his first runner in September, 2019 after being granted stables in April that year. Fitzsimmons relocated to Singapore in 2007 to join the stables of Cliff Brown. By March 2014, he had become assistant trainer to Brown and the formidable duo virtually won every feature race on the calendar.

However, it was only last month – on 18 June – that Fitzsimmons claimed his first Group win in his own right as Golden Monkey landed the SIN G3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m).

Eight days later, Fitzsimmons found himself back in the champagne room after Relentless won the lead up race to the Derby, the SIN G2 Stewards’ Cup (1600m). When you’re hot, you’re hot and the Australian has shown no signs of slowing down after Golden Monkey doubled the dose by blitzing his peers in the SIN G2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) last Saturday (9 July).

Fitzsimmons’ three-pronged attack in the Derby holds him in good stead to secure his first Group 1, but Relentless stands out as his most realistic chance after his Stewards’ Cup win.

Enduring a perfect run just off the speed, Relentless let down swiftly over concluding stages to collar race favourite, Lim’s Kosciuszko, who vied to make all in the running, inside the 50m.

Second market elect, Tiger Roar, did his usual best work late into third — beaten three lengths – while Con Speranza was a pass mark first-up into fourth and Amazing Breeze eye-catching late into fifth.

The extra furlong on Sunday will be both Relentless and Lim’s Kosciuszko’s acid test as they stretch to 1800m for the first time in their respective careers. However, at level weights with their fellow four-year-olds, with the majority facing an uphill task on a low handicap rating, class looks paramount.

In fact, it was only two starts ago that Lim’s Kosciuszko started the race-favourite in the S$1 million Kranji Mile (1600m). However, on that occasion, a blistering early tempo spelled the demise of the Daniel Meagher-trained gelding as he felt the pinch late and faded to 10th, beaten four and a half lengths.

He also didn’t loiter around in the Stewards’ Cup, taking up his customary role as leader but posting some faster than average early splits, enabling those off the pace to get into it. Should a similar race shape eventuate in the Derby, it’ll suit the Michael Clements-trained Tiger Roar down to a tee.

Tiger Roar enters the Derby third-up after resuming in early June off a 10-month spell. A key pointer towards the six-time winner’s chances is the fact he has track and distance form which many others don’t with one win and a second from two attempts.

Another who may relish a fast run race is trainer Jerome Tan’s Amazing Breeze. Towards the front of the pack, Con Speranza can be on-pace for a long while and should be fitter now second-up.

His trainer, Hideyuki Takaoka, knows what it takes to win a Derby after claiming it in 2018 with Jupiter Gold, 2013 with Better Life and Jolie’s Shinju in 2009.