Bendigo trainer Tim Fitzsimmons clearly remembers the moment his fascination with racing began.
He was in Nagambie, listening to the radio as Empire Rose clinched the 1988 Melbourne Cup, a horse trained by the accomplished Laurie Laxon.
Laxon would go on to become a multiple champion trainer in Singapore, a path Fitzsimmons also pursued, achieving champion status before racing ceased in the island nation.
“It 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,” Fitzsimmons explained.
“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.”
Fitzsimmons is set to saddle his first Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner at Flemington this Tuesday, with Onesmoothoperator making its third attempt at the prestigious event.
For Fitzsimmons, having a Cup runner this early in his training career, especially after relocating from Singapore, is a considerable thrill.
“It’s certainly a bit different to any other race with all the protocols we have to go through,” Fitzsimmons commented.
“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 moving to Singapore in 2007 to work with Cliff Brown, Fitzsimmons had periods with the celebrated ‘Cups King’ Bart Cummings and with the Cup’s most decorated owner, Lloyd Williams.
A friendship was established with UK trainer Brian Ellison, Onesmoothoperator’s prior trainer in late 2006, which led to Fitzsimmons taking over the gelding’s training.
Fitzsimmons travelled to Perth with Ellison for the 2006 Perth Carnival, cementing a long-standing family friendship.
Onesmoothoperator, having travelled from the UK with Ellison, finished twelfth in the 2024 Cup before running fourteenth last year.
Now under Fitzsimmons’s care, Onesmoothoperator had one start in the autumn before commencing its third campaign for Cup glory.
The horse finished ninth in the Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield and then ran eleventh in the Geelong Cup on October 21, a race it had won in 2024.
“It was a flat run last time, but I thought his run before that was good,” Fitzsimmons stated.
“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.” Given the trainer’s sentiment, checking the racing odds for Onesmoothoperator might be worthwhile.
