RAISING THE BAR TOWARDS BIGGER PRIZE

March 9 date is either Group 3 Committee’s Prize or Class 3 race for Raising Sixty-One

- Michael Lee

Tim Fitzsimmons' pick between a feature or a Class 3 path for Raising Sixty-One will be guided by his first-up run in the $70,000 Class 3 race (1,400m) on Feb 24.

The five-time winner (thrice over 1,700m and twice over 1,600m, all on Polytrack) has not been seen since his second-to Bestseller in the Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes (1,700m) on Dec 2.

But, encouraged by his bold runs at the elite level, especially his gallant fourth to Lim's Kosciuszko in the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) on Nov 11, Fitzsimmons has again set the Belardo five-year-old on an ambitious path.

The tentative first target is the Group 3 Committee's Prize (1,600m) on March 9, even if the yard already has likely hot favourite Golden Monkey and Dream Alliance in the $110,000 feature.

If the short two-week lead-up does not work out, the Australian has come up with a back-up plan.