Former Singapore trainer Tim Fitzsimmons is eager to learn more about his star horse, Golden Monkey, as the gelding makes his Australian debut at Echuca.

Golden Monkey will contest the Country Discovery (1000m) on Friday, marking his first start in Australia following a successful Singapore career. The gelding boasts eight wins from 31 starts and 16 placings in Singapore.

Fitzsimmons, who trained 194 winners during his five-year stint in Singapore, brought 10 horses back with him when racing there closed in October. While he has had limited runners in Australia, Fitzsimmons is hopeful for Golden Monkey’s performance.

“Monkey has been my best horse,” Fitzsimmons said. “He was champion three-year-old, champion four-year-old and won the Derby. If it wasn’t for Lim’s Kosciuszko, he would probably be the best horse up there.”

Despite his success over 1800m in the Singapore Derby, Fitzsimmons believes Golden Monkey performs best over 1200m to 1400m, so the 1000m distance on Friday may be a challenge. However, Fitzsimmons is optimistic about the sprinter’s chances, hoping he can finish strongly.

“If he can get a suck run through them and get out late, he’s got a really good last 350-metre sprint,” Fitzsimmons said.

Looking ahead, Fitzsimmons is not aiming for lofty goals just yet, considering Golden Monkey’s age, but plans to run him in the Wagga Town Plate over 1200m if he performs well on Friday. Fitzsimmons also has his eye on the Sunshine Coast’s The Glasshouse over 1400m later in the season.