‘Hopefully he can do Bendigo proud’

Story and photos by Kieran Iles - Bendigo Times

Tim Fitzsimmons remembers the exact moment the horse racing and, in particular, the Melbourne Cup bug first bit.

It was in 1988, when as a seven-year-old, he watched on with unbridled excitement as the Laurie Laxon-trained Empire Rose charged to a popular victory in ‘the race that stops a nation’.

On Tuesday, the Bendigo-based trainer will get his shot at emulating his late, great mentor and friend when he saddles up Onesmoothoperator in the 166th running of the iconic Group 1 feature, now carrying prizemoney of $10 million.

While the imported nine-year-old gelding is an undeniable long shot at 100-1, the thoughts and will of punters and bookmakers will not dim the excitement and anticipation for the former Singapore trainer’s premiership winner, who has been based in Bendigo for a little over 18 months following the demise of racing in that country.

His first Melbourne Cup runner is the culmination of an almost lifelong dream, first conceived in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne back in the late 80s.

“It’s probably the only race I ever dreamed about winning as a little kid,” said Fitzsimmons, Bendigo’s leading trainer the last two racing seasons.

“Whilst Cox Plates are great, there’s only the one Melbourne Cup.

“Laurie Laxon’s horse in 1988, Empire Rose is probably my first racing memory.

“I was fortunate to become friends with Laurie in Singapore. He won about nine (trainer’s) premierships, I managed to win one.

“And now I get to have my own runner in the Melbourne Cup. It’s awesome.”

Fitzsimmons can draw further inspiration from Laxon.

Considered one of the most beloved thoroughbreds to have raced in Australia and New Zealand, Empire Rose – by champion sire Sir Tristram – claimed the Cup at his third attempt, after finishing fifth behind At Talaq in 1986 (remember that date) and second to Kensei a year later.

Tuesday’s race will be Onesmoothoperator’s third tilt, but his first under Fitzsimmons’ training.

Originally trained by Brian Ellison in the United Kingdom, the son of American stallion Dialed In finished 12th in 2024 behind Knight’s Choice (again in the field on Tuesday) and 16th in the wet in last year’s race won by Half Yours.

Having brought him over from the UK the last two years, Ellison and connections elected to leave Onesmoothoperator behind permanently in Australia after last year’s Cup, handing over the training reins to Fitzsimmons.

He reflects on the opportunity as a classic ‘right place, right time’ scenario.

But we know how often that can work out favourably in racing.

“No doubt about it, I have benefited from getting this horse, but everyone needs a bit of luck,” he said.

“Most trainers in the race have inherited the horse off someone, but you still have to get them there.

“It’s not even two years yet in Bendigo – just over 18 months since we started training here.

“If you had said to me that I would have a Melbourne Cup runner back then, I probably would have said you were crazy.

“I’ve just got to enjoy it – enjoy the day.

“The family is all very excited – my brothers and mum.

“The old man (dad Martin) would have been pretty chuffed if he was still here. I like to think he will be looking down from heaven.

“And the staff here have done a great job of getting him to the line.

“It’s not easy with these older horses.

“I have had a lot of people reach out that I haven’t spoken to for a long time … just nice messages.”

Onesmoothoperator will become the first Bendigo-trained stayer to contest the Melbourne Cup in 40 years.

The last was Fordyce, trained by the late George Symons, in the year of At Talaq’s win.

Fitzsimmons is amazed by the long gap.

“Hopefully he can do Bendigo proud,” he said.

While his lead-up form has not been as strong this time around, Fitzsimmons is willing to overlook Onesmoothoperator’s disappointing 11th behind Tuesday’s favourite Point Of Law in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m).

It was a race he won en route to the Melbourne Cup in 2024, while last year’s preparation was highlighted by a Group 3 Moonee Valley Cup win.

“I’m sure he’ll run a lot better; I obviously wasn’t overly happy with his last run. He was a bit flat,” Fitzsimmons said.

“I’ve changed a few things up and I’m much happier with him going into this run.

“Obviously it’s a really difficult race – he’s 100-1 – but I do think he will run really well.

“His run before the Geelong Cup (in the Group 2 Herbert Power) was really positive.

“I’ve put the blinkers on him and his work has been great. I expect him to run well.”

Fitzsimmons said the three-time Melbourne Cup starter gave every impression he was looking for the 3200m.

“I really do. Hopefully the rain stays away; he doesn’t like wet tracks.

“The forecast looked a little shabby last week, but it’s starting to look a lot better.

“He copped a bad one last year. It rained 30 minutes before the race and it ruined his hopes.

“As long as we get the rain on Monday and not much or none Tuesday, he should be okay.”

Perhaps most of all, Fitzsimmons, who scaled the heights of Group 1 success while overseas with Golden Monkey in the Singapore Derby, is satisfied to see a plan that’s been a full 12-months in the making come to fruition.

“There’s no doubt it’s taken time to get to get to know him and to really settle into Australia,” said Fitzsimmons, who could easily have racked up a few more Group 1s in Singapore were in not for a horse called Lim’s Kosciuszko, who relegated multiple of his horses into second place at the top level almost a dozen times.

“It hasn’t been easy – it’s been a bit of a challenge.

“But I’m probably happier with him in the last week than I have been in the last 12 months, so that’s a positive going into the biggest race of the year.

“He’s a nine-year-old, so he’s not getting any younger, but he’s still full of beans … bright and well.

“Hopefully we get to Tuesday and he can run the race of his life.”

Veteran Bendigo trainer Rod Symons, whose late father George trained Fordyce into 19th place in the 1986 Cup, couldn’t be happier to see the Bendigo-trained Melbourne Cup starter drought end.

“I’m not a young fellow anymore when you’re talking 40 years,” said Symons, who was the stable foreman back in 1986.

“My younger brother was on strapping duties.

“But it’s good for Bendigo to finally have another cup runner.

“We were hoping Josh Julius might have got there with Super Girl a few years ago, but it didn’t happen.

“Hopefully Onesmoothoperator can run well and do a lot better than us.”

Super Girl, a city winner for Julius and placed in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington, a race in which the winner is given a ‘golden ticket’ into the Melbourne Cup, was humanely euthanised after breaking down in the 2020 Bendigo Cup, while attempting to qualify for the Melbourne Cup.

“It was a totally different race back then (in ’86); you could get in with a locally bred horse, Symons said.

“Fordyce was bred out here at Lockwood. (Trainer) Geoff Murphy came up and had a look at him as a yearling and said I’ll give you $80,000. We paid $20,000 for the mare in foal.

“She was in foal with a new stallion called Sir Tristram.

“At the time we were taking punt on a cheapie, but I’m so glad we didn’t sell him.

“We had a lot of fun with him. We won the Creswick Stakes, which was then over 2000m, as a three-year-old, which qualified him for the Melbourne Cup run.

“It takes a lot more than that to get into a Melbourne Cup these days, but very happy for Tim to be there.”

Symons, now 64 and with a handful of horses in work, hailed Fitzsimmons as a breath of fresh air.

“He has done a great job and it’s great he’s based himself in Bendigo,” he said.

“He’s happy with the facilities here, has a great team around him and has got some nice horses.

“Onesmoothoperator does all of his gallops on the course proper, so he’s been given every opportunity here.

“We’re all hoping to see him do well on Tuesday.”

Originally published by the Bendigo Times, part of Times News Group. Read the original article. Photography by Kieran Iles.