Sir Tiger finally lands an alley at Cambridge on Thursday night.
At long last, Sir Tiger gets a good draw on Thursday - and just watch Zac use it
By Barry Lichter • 16 April 2019
Lincoln Farms’ top two Young Guns might be missing but Sir Tiger’s long overdue luck with the barrier draw could still see it capture the north’s first Sires’ Stakes heat at Cambridge on Thursday night.
Neither of trainer Ray Green’s crack two-year-olds Line Up or Perfect Stride will be seen in action for a while after recent setbacks.
Line Up … soreness prompted two months rest.Line Up was having growing pains and is enjoying two months in the paddock while Perfect Stride was given a month off to completely get over a virus and has been back in work for only a week and a half.
But in Mr Reliable Sir Tiger, Green has a worthy backup, especially now he has drawn the pole for the 1700 metre dash.
The Sir Lincoln colt’s record of three placings from seven starts would have read a lot better had he not been plagued by impossibly wide draws and forced to do too much work.
In seven starts Sir Tiger has drawn 7, 6, 7, 2, 8, 9 and 8. And he made the most of his only good draw when best of the rest behind his super impressive stablemate Line Up.
Typical of his bad luck, he started from the outside of the gate in the Young Guns Final, was hampered early, forced to race wide before finding the death seat 1100 metres out, then all but wiped out by an errant running Virgil in the run home.
Inside second row draws are usually the kiss of death but for Sir Tiger it was almost a godsend two starts back. Following out stablemate Hilary Barry then racing three deep, he mounted the fastest last quarter of 27.7 up the passing lane to run third to pacemaker Bad To The Bone and Eagle Watch.
Against older maiden opposition last week, it was back to normal transmission as Sir Tiger was again stuck on the outside of the gate.
And this time it all went bad turning into the home straight after 400 metres when driver Zachary Butcher tried to restrain him from three wide into the running line.
Pacing too keenly and resenting the brakes being applied, Sir Tiger went roughly and broke for about nine strides before settling, not something he’d done before.
Sir Tiger … over-raced in blinkers last week.“We had blinkers on him for the first time and he just over-raced,’’ says Green. “They’re coming off this week.
“Zac might have been better to let him stride along last week instead of being cute. He’s not really a sit and sprint horse.’’
More a rolling type, lacking a yard of high speed, Green sees the pole draw as a huge benefit to Sir Tiger on Thursday.
Butcher was behind Bad To The Bone at Auckland two starts back but sticks with Sir Tiger this time and will unquestionably be out to hold the lead from gate release.
And the way the horse finished last week for fifth, after being forced four wide round the home bend and running only 4.4 lengths from winner Eyespywithmylittleye, augurs well for Thursday night when he is back to his own age group.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.14pm
“She tries hard and is getting stronger. She just needs a trip to be right there.”
Race 3: Copy N Paste
6.16pm
“Maurice said he got a bit tired on debut but I didn’t expect a lot. Four months ago you’d have wondered if he’d ever qualify. He’ll improve on that - he’s improving all the time - but from seven he’ll have to go back and come into it late.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.14pm
“She’s up in grade but is a chance again if she can get a good run up the front of the field. It was a good effort last time to break 2:43.”
Race 8: Lincoln Maree
8.49pm
“She’s trained on OK and, while no champion, has to be a chance down in grade against the amateur horses.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Jessie Lincoln
6.57pm
“I can’t see her beating Sammy Lincoln but with a good draw at last you’ll see a better performance. She’s capable of finishing in the first three.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.57pm
“She bolted in at the workouts, leading out from a wide gate and getting home in 27.9. She’s a great driving little mare and has good manners. I could see her winning one very soon.”
Race 4: Sammy Lincoln
6.57pm
“I know we’ve said it before but he has been unlucky a few times and, all things being fair and square, it’s hard to see him beaten. The draw is awkward but everything points to him winning. There are no derby horses in there and he went a great race in the Northern Derby last start.”
Race 4: Marylynes Boy
6.57pm
“He’s a tidy little horse. I can’t see him winning from the (second row) draw but he’s like Spirit Of God, he’s not far away from winning one.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.25pm
“He’s been a late developer. You can see it in his growth, his withers have finally popped up, and he’ll get better as time goes on. He’s no champion but he should be a handy horse through winter. He’s capable of stepping away fairly well.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.25pm
“It’s a toss-up between the two of them. Sugar Ray is a bit stronger perhaps but Leo is very good from a stand. You can forget that last run in the Messenger - he was only in there to help get the race off the ground.”
Race 7: Prince Lincoln
8.25pm
“He finally showed us what he’s got last week. Inside second row draws can be awkward - you’re at the mercy of the others - but he could end up with a good trail behind the leader.”
