The freshly-crowned Singapore champion trainer, who has also nominated Illustrious in the same race, will have to make a "gut call" on whether he thinks Mr Black Back will get a start in the first Group 1 feature of the season before he runs on Sunday.
Off a rating of 81 points, the Black House Stable-owned five-year-old of Snitzel was the first Emergency Acceptor in the Kranji Stakes A race over the mile last Saturday, which was won by another Raffles Cup hopeful, Street Of Dreams.
Fitzsimmons knew that a few extra points may be required for him to gain a berth in the Raffles Cup, but to run him two weeks before the big race might not be ideal, hence the dilemma of whether to run him or not not this Sunday.
"Ideally, if I knew for sure he (Mr Black Back ) gets a start in the Raffles Cup, I wouldn't run him on Sunday," said Fitzsimmons from the 2023 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in Victoria, Australia on Tuesday.
"So I'm making some phone calls and running the numbers. He's on the cusp.
"A few horses might not go on to the Raffles (Cup) from that Kranji Stakes A race but others, like Katak, come back in. Also, a couple (of them) down the ratings dropped points – including two of mine (Relentless and Trumpy) – so it's tough to know for sure.
"If he does run on Sunday, he showed with blinkers added at the trial the week before (finished first in trial no. 4 on February 23 in the time of 58.62secs) that he can get the job done if needed.
"If he doesn't run, he will have another solid trial and at this stage, I might leave the blinkers on for the Raffles (Cup), but I will make that call later.
"I think he would have been a major player in that race (Kranji Stakes A race) given the (on-pace) racing pattern on the day so, it was disappointing that he didn't get a run.
"His first-up run was better than it looked too as he was underdone and was taken on in front. He finished best of the on-pace runners, so I took a lot out of that race.
"His main aim is the (Group 1) Kranji Mile (1600m) and it's great there are plenty of good Class 2 lead-up races to that race."
The Kranji Mile will be run on May 20 this year, alongside the Group 2 Singapore Guineas (1600m), which is the third and final leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge series.
His other nominated runner, Illustrious, ran unplaced behind Lim's Kosciuszko in the Group 3 Merlion Trophy (1200m) at his last start on February 4, but the flashy grey's record on the all-weather track – 10 starts for five wins and three seconds – spoke for itself, and Fitzsimmons thought the five-year-old son of Top Echelon can show his best on Sunday in a much more suitable race.
"It always going to be a battling run for Illustrious in the Merlion Trophy," said the affable Australian conditioner.
"He was first-up after wind operation and to be fair to the horse, I wouldn't have run him but there were no other suitable races.
"So he was underdone while carrying equal weights against some very good horses. He tried hard but it was an uphill battle given the preparation.
"This race on Sunday has some good horses in it but it's perfect for him.
"He's trained on well since the Merlion (Trophy) – he's obviously fitter – and I thought he went enormous in the trial last week (finished first in trial no. 2 on March 2 in the time of 59.35secs).
"(Jockey) Ronnie (Stewart) was really happy with how he went at the trial – he had him under a nice hold - and rides him with 51 kilos this Sunday.
"I would be happy if he draws a gate. If he gets a cheap lead, he will be hard to run down."
