Fitzsimmons Racing has announced the retirement of Golden Monkey, following a decision made jointly with his ownership group after the gelding suffered a Grade 3 internal bleed on Saturday.

Trainer Tim Fitzsimmons said the decision was made with the horse’s long-term welfare as the clear priority, bringing to a close a remarkable career that delivered some of the stable’s most memorable moments.

“Golden Monkey brought a lot of joy to a lot of people,” Tim said. “He’s been an incredible horse for our stable and his owners, and while it’s never easy to make these calls, his wellbeing always comes first.”

Golden Monkey competed at the very top level during his time in Singapore, establishing himself as one of the standout horses of his generation. His crowning achievement came as a three-year-old when he captured the Group 1 Singapore Derby, a performance that firmly stamped him as an elite racehorse.

That Derby success was part of a dominant three-year-old season which also included victories in the Group 2 Singapore Classic and the Group 3 3YO Sprint, culminating in him being crowned Singapore Champion Three-Year-Old. He carried that form into his four-year-old season, adding the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup and Group 3 Fortune Bowl to his résumé and earning the title of Singapore Champion Four-Year-Old.

“He competed at the highest level year after year and always gave everything,” Tim said. “To win a Singapore Derby and then go on and be Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Four-Year-Old says everything about the horse he was.”

Tim also paid tribute to the role Golden Monkey played in shaping the stable’s journey, and to those who helped bring him into the team.

“JIG Racing brought Golden Monkey into our stable, and we’ll be forever grateful to Josh McLoughlin for that opportunity,” he said. “The horse really changed our lives. He was the right horse at the right time and gave us the platform to build our stable around him. He played a huge role in our success in Singapore and was a major factor in winning the Singapore Trainers’ Premiership in 2022.”

With racing now behind him, Golden Monkey will transition into a well-earned post-racing life, something Tim says is a fitting reward for such a genuine competitor.

“He’ll deservedly have a really good life after racing,” he said. “He’ll always hold a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of his owners. We’re incredibly grateful for everything he’s given us.”

Fitzsimmons Racing would like to thank Golden Monkey’s loyal ownership group, stable staff, and everyone involved in his career for their unwavering support.

Golden Monkey may have run his final race, but the stable he helped build and the journey he inspired will remain a lasting part of Fitzsimmons Racing’s story.