For once Sir Tiger has a great draw behind the mobile gate - the inside of the front row - for the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington.
He’s no Sir Lincoln but Sir Tiger will pounce from the pole and track his prey all day
By Barry Lichter • 15 May 2019
Nearly nine and a half years after Sir Lincoln won the Three-Year-Old Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington, his son Sir Tiger will attempt to upset the Purdon/Rasmussen juggernaut in the two-year-old version at Addington.
But trainer Ray Green is under no illusions about the magnitude of the task facing the Lincoln Farms tradesman on Friday night.
While Sir Tiger has been a real professional this season, seldom getting any luck in the barrier draws, he does not have the X factor which Sir Lincoln showed early in his career.
Sir Lincoln (Maurice McKendry) was a monster on Sires’ Stakes Final day at Addington in 2009. PHOTO: Race Images.Sir Lincoln didn’t win in four starts as a two-year-old but he came back a different horse at three and by the time he found his way to Addington during cup week in November, 2009, he was a machine, clocking a 1:55.2 mile rate for the 1980 metre final to beat Anvils Best Ever and Franco Hendrix.
Sir Tiger has placed in five of his nine starts and, as Green points out, “has never gone a bad race.’’
In Sir Tiger he sees some of the determination which stamped his dad, who amassed more than $660,000 from his 21 wins.
And, at long last gifted the pole draw in his most important assignment, Green can see Sir Tiger leading out of the gate for aggressive stand-in driver Ken Barron.
“He should hold up from there. He did it easily in the heat at Cambridge two starts back, but I’m sure the Purdon horses will try to smoke us after that.’’
Drawn two, four, five and six, the All Stars’ Smooth Deal, One Change, Virgil and Flying Even Bettor are sure to come calling.
“We’ll just get out as well as we can and then get a suck along behind them,’’ says Green. “And hopefully he can run into the money.
“He’s sat parked against good ones before and run second.’’
In January, after working had to find the death, Sir Tiger clung one well to be best of the rest behind Chicago Bull’s impressive little brother Perfect Stride.
Sir Tiger also breezed for the last 1200 metres of the Group I Cardigan Bay Stakes Young Guns Final in March, when sixth behind Smooth Deal, Virgil and Eagle Watch.
More news in Harness
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
Ultra-consistent Kevin Kline sold to the United States: Why Ray’s sorry to lose him
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Manawatu
Race 4: Spiritual Bliss
6.25pm
“She won well on the first day but pulled very hard - Harry said his arms were that tired afterwards he couldn’t have lifted a 1kg dumb bell. She’s meeting a few nice ones here, up in grade, but she’s drawn better so you can’t count her out. She tries hard and really digs in.”
Race 7: Lincoln Downs
7.50pm
“She did everything right on Tuesday but she blew heavily afterwards and I think the heat got to her. She’s a place chance if she recovers OK.”
Race 8: Lincoln Maree
8.22pm
“She was jumping shadows on Tuesday and moves to the last race this time but she’s not the most genuine so I’m not holding my breath.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Lincoln Lover
6.28pm
“He hasn’t raced for three months but trialled really well. I pick he’s going to win one pretty quickly and, given he’s been running against the best two-year-olds in his previous preps, it should really be on Friday night. This lot of maidens aren’t in the same class and he’s as honest as they come, a tough little trier.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.09pm
“She’s really up against it from the outside of the second line, with all the favourites drawn well. She has to be the unluckest animal on the planet. With her, what can go wrong will. Even at the best of times you need a reasonable draw to figure but drawn in the bondocks here she’ll need incredible luck.”
Race 8: Sugar Ray Lincoln
9.09pm
“He had a short break while some vet work was done but is in good trim. Yes, there are a few in here that are vastly higher rated but his formline says it all - it’s not often he doesn’t get a cheque.”
Race 8: Tyson
9.09pm
“He was a bit unlucky last week that he didn’t get to them a bit sooner otherwise I think he would have won. Maurice said he thought they’d come back to him more, going 2:39 speed, but his closing sectionals were easily the best in the race.”
Race 10: Prince Lincoln
10.09pm
“He’s grown into a beautiful horse, a quality looking colt, and who knows what he could be. He’ll obviously improve with the run but I still expect him to run well from his good draw. He trialled very well behind a good one.”
Race 10: Johnny Lincoln
10.09pm
“He’s drawn a bit awkwardly in seven, which gives Prince Lincoln the edge, but he too was making good ground in the workout.”
