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After a narrow defeat in the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) on 11 November, trainer Tim Fitzsimmons is hoping either Relentless or Raising Sixty-One can land the money in the last edition of the $110,000 Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes (1700m) on Saturday.
Traditionally held as the final Group race in a season, the Polytrack feature will, however, be staging its final run as Singapore racing will draw the curtain on 5 October next year with the Grand Singapore Gold Cup as the highlight race at its last meeting.
Relentless and Raising Sixty-One both last ran in the Singapore Gold Cup where Relentless finished with excuses in eighth while Raising Sixty-One ran a huge race in fourth. It was Fitzsimmons' third runner, Dream Alliance, who lost by a short head to Lim's Kosciuszko and took the runner-up spot.
Though Dream Alliance will not run in the Colonial Chief Stakes, Fitzsimmons still has Relentless and Raising Sixty-One, who are well placed with 54kgs and 53kgs respectively.
Before the Gold Cup run, Raising Sixty-One had good form and won back-to-back Class 4 races over 1700m on the Polytrack on 24 June and 15 July while Relentless also performed well on the all-weather surface earlier in his career.
Fitzsimmons thought the pair should run well.
"Raising Sixty-One's Polytrack record (five wins) speaks for itself," said the affable Australian conditioner.
"And Relentless (x Hallowed Crown) actually won his maiden race on the Polytrack (a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m on 10 October 2020).
"Obviously, he hasn't raced on it (Polytrack) for a long time but he's always trialled and worked really well on it.
"So I think he (Relentless) will love the Polytrack this Saturday and (jockey) Vlad (Duric) – who knows him better than anyone else – will ride him.
"I thought he never got into the race in the Gold Cup and he still finished off well. He just got too far back."
Relentless only had two starts on the Polytrack and was last seen on the surface after he ran second in a Class 4 race (1200m) on 20 March two years ago but Raising Sixty-One arguably gets back onto his preferred surface after his Gold Cup run.
"I thought his fourth in the Gold Cup was phenomenal," he said of the five-year-old son of Belardo.
"He was caught four and five wide, and with no luck in the running, he still finished under two lengths from the winner. That was huge.
"(Jockey) Bruno (Queiroz) was on him the start before the Gold Cup when he ran second on the turf (in a Class 3 race over 1800m on 14 October) to Maxima and he will be back on board this Saturday."
Of his opposition in the Colonial Chief Stakes, Fitzsimmons thought the in-form Bestseller with no weight on his back was his biggest danger.
"(Trainer) Ricardo's (Le Grange) horse (Bestseller) is the horse on the way up," he said.
"And you know this (Colonial Chief Stakes) being a Group race, Ricardo will have him peaking and he looks well-in with 52.5kgs.
"There's also plenty of other good chances in this race but I'm happy with my two."
Fitzsimmons - who had his share of Group wins this season with Golden Monkey winning both the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) and the Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1600m) – was also happy to report that Dream Alliance had pulled up well after the Singapore Gold Cup.
"He (Dream Alliance) pulled up great," said the 2022 Singapore champion trainer, who is currently on 55 wins for the year and sits in second behind trainer Jason Ong (59 wins).
"We gave him a break – three weeks off in total – and the ultimate aim is the Singapore Gold Cup next year, but also with plenty of other Group races between now and then.
"He's done an amazing job given he was in work the whole year. He's a horse on the rise and still has more improvement to come. He's an exciting horse for next year.
"And just quietly, that's four times Lim's Kosciuszko has beaten one of my mine in Group 1 races. Relentless in the (2022) Singapore Derby, Cyclone in the (2023) Kranji Mile (1600m), Golden Monkey in the (2023) Lion City Cup (1200m) and now the Gold Cup with Dream Alliance.
"But there's no shame in getting beaten by a champion like Lim's Kosciuszko and (trainer) Dan's (Daniel Meagher) done a fantastic job with him.
"In saying that, while I hope he goes super for Dan and the team in Hong Kong in a couple of weeks – and no one will be cheering louder than me - I hope Dan leaves him there so we all have a chance next year (laughs)!"
A multiple-Group 1 winner and versatile galloper in Singapore, Lim's Kosciuszko will compete for a second time at the Sha Tin racecourse in the HK$32 million (S$5.5 million) Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 10 December after his unplaced run in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) last year.
