By Larry Foley, Singapore Turf Club
Josh McLoughlan knows a good horse when he sees one.
When the principal of Jig Bloodstock cast his knowledgeable eye over an unraced two-year-old at the jumpouts in Victoria, Australia back in May last year, he definitely liked what he saw.
That was Golden Monkey, who looks a genuine chance in the $300,000 Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) on Sunday.
Already a two-time Group winner as a three-year-old in 2022 – the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) and Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) – Golden Monkey will now try his luck as a four-year-old against the best sprinters in Singapore.
A big ask at the weight-for-age conditions. The premier sprint race was held in April last year – when captured by Lim’s Lightning – where the younger horses would have received two kilograms of allowance. If ran only two weeks ago in July this year, then the Southern Hemisphere-bred Golden Monkey would have gotten half a kilogram off as a three-year-old.
And that counts for plenty in a race like the Lion City Cup where even the great Rocket Man – who won the race a record four times (2009 to 2012) – was given two kilograms weight relief as a three-year-old when he won his first back in 2009.
No one is suggesting Golden Monkey is in the Rocket Man stratosphere, but such was his dominance in the three-year-old feature races that he had to be a contender in the Lion City Cup.
So how did McLoughlan and his plethora of mostly Australian owners find themselves on the Golden Monkey ride?
Ironically, it was the lack of winning form by the Star Turn gelding that saw the change of ownership.
“I asked about him (Golden Monkey) after his jumpout before he raced but he was well out of my price range,” said McLoughlan on Thursday afternoon.
“He had a Hong Kong price tag on him but I followed him closely and when he hadn’t won in about five starts in Australia, I made another offer.
“I knew he had been vetted for Hong Kong and while not winning, some of his runs behind some nice horses were good enough to think he had a future and Singapore would be ideal.”
With longtime clients, Craig and Victor Elvin, jumping on board for a major share, McLoughlan syndicated the rest of Golden Monkey to some good mates – something he does not do often.
“I try to keep old friends out of owning horses with me as the two sometimes don’t mix,” he explained.
“Craig and Vic are good friends and my biggest supporters – but they know what they are doing in the racing game. While I thought the rest of the group would just enjoy having in a good horse in Singapore so they can travel and have a good time.”
Indeed about 15 owners have made the trip to Singapore from Australia and with golf, dinners and racing on the agenda; it will be a busy week for McLoughlan.
“I’m trying to take it easy as Sunday will be a big day but it’s great for the owners to be here,” said the Australian.
“Some are at the golf course today and others arrive tonight so it will keep me busy, but I’m loving it.
“It’s not often that you have a runner in a Group 1 race, so to share with good mates is a big thrill.”
McLoughlan grew up in the horse racing country in rural Victoria so counts many in the industry as close friends; including trainer Tim Fitzsimmons and jockey Mark Zahra – who is flying in to ride Golden Monkey in the Lion City Cup.
“Mark is one of the best jockeys in the world,” he said.
“(Jockey) Jake (Bayliss) did everything right when he won on Golden Monkey in the (Singapore 3YO) Classic and we would have loved to keep him on, but Mark was always the first choice if we could get him.
“I had horses with (ex-Kranji trainer) Cliff (Brown) so I’ve known Tim (then Brown’s assistant-trainer) for years and I always knew he would be a great trainer in his own right when he got the chance.
“He’s got some really important attributes to be a successful trainer – honesty, patience, loyalty – and he has done such an amazing job with Golden Monkey.”
Such an amazing job that Fitzsimmons had Golden Monkey breaking his maiden status at his second start in Singapore before winning at Group 3 level in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint at his fourth start with jockey Oscar Chavez up.
“Oscar always told me we had a good horse on our hands but it was only after that win in the 3YO Sprint that I thought ‘wow’,” continued McLoughlan.
“He ran a good time and Tim said he just keeps on improving and he showed that when he won easily in the Classic.
“To be honest, we were looking for reasons not to run him against the older horses at weight-for-age level so soon but Tim can’t fault him and he deserves a chance.
“The barrier (12) makes it tougher but he’s not a ‘one-trick pony’ by any means so Mark can ride him quieter if needed.
“I think Lim’s Lightning is the horse to beat – especially after drawing gate one – but it’s a big field and we are one of the top three or four chances.
“And going forward, I wouldn’t want to own any other horse in the race.”
