Melbourne Cup win to turn full circle for Fitzsimmons

MELBOURNE – Trainer Tim Fitzsimmons will saddle his first Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3,200m) runner at Flemington on Nov 3 when Onesmoothoperator lines up for his third attempt at “the race that stops the nation”.

And the Bendigo handler would like nothing more than to complete his own “Laurie Laxon set” with a trophy in the A$10 million (S$8.98 million) feature to go alongside his 2022 Singapore champion trainer’s title.

Fitzsimmons remembers when he first captured the racing bug.

Then in Nagambie, he was listening to the radio when Empire Rose won the 1988 Melbourne Cup. The brilliant mare was trained by Laxon.

The legendary trainer – who died in his New Zealand hometown in 2021 – would later become a nine-time champion trainer in Singapore.

Fitzsimmons previously plied his trade at Kranji since 2007 when he relocated to join trainer Cliff Brown’s stables. He became a trainer in his own right in 2019 and won the Singapore champion trainer title in 2022.

But, racing ceased in the Lion City in October 2024, prompting his return to the Australian shores.

“It (Melbourne Cup) was the only race that I cared about when I was a kid and was the reason I got into racing in the first place,” said Fitzsimmons.

“When I won the premiership in Singapore, they wrote an article, and I said my earliest ever racing memory was listening to the radio in Nagambie and hearing Empire Rose win the Melbourne Cup, who was trained by Laurie Laxon.

“It was like a full circle moment when I won the premiership, and the fact Laurie had won so many during his time in Singapore.”

For Fitzsimmons, just to have a Cup runner so early in his career after relocating back from Singapore is a thrill.

“It’s certainly a bit different to any other race with all the protocols we have to go through,” he said.

“It’s exciting and will probably hit home on Tuesday when they’re in the parade ring and heading to the barriers.

“I’ll have to pinch myself.”

Before heading to Singapore in 2007, Fitzsimmons had stints with the late “Cups King” Bart Cummings, and with the Melbourne Cup’s most successful owner Lloyd Williams, who has won seven editions of the showpiece.

In 2006, Fitzsimmons travelled with UK handler Brian Elliso to a Perth Carnival, establishing a long family friendship, and that led to him taking over the training of Onesmoothoperator earlier this year.

Travelling from the UK with Ellison, Onesmoothoperator finished 12th in the 2024 Melbourne Cup before running 14th last year when under Ellison’s care.

The son of Dialed In has had four unplaced runs for Fitzsimmons, and is now embarking on his third quest for Cup glory.

Onesmoothoperator finished ninth in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2,400m) at Caulfield on Oct 10 before an 11th in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2,400m) – a race he won in 2024 – on Oct 21.

“It was a flat run last time, but I thought his run before that was good,” said Fitzsimmons.

“The way the race was run last time, it was really gruelling and he never got into the race.

“We monitored him for a couple of days afterwards and he seems to have bounced back, so we’re going to put the blinkers on him.

“We thought about them the other day, but if I had my time over again, I would probably have gone straight to the Cup.

“I’m really happy with the way he’s worked since, and he seems bright and well. He’s very sound, so it’s all systems go.”

The eight-year-old gelding has drawn gate 13 and will be ridden by Declan Bates. RACING AND SPORTS