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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

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 (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.

Our runners this week

Friday night at Auckland

What’s Up The Hill.

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Tuesday twilight at Manawatu

Race 3: Onyx Shard
5.09pm

“She’s working really well and, from the good draw, hopefully she can run a drum. The field’s not that much harder than the one she beat last time at Manawatu (when parked for the last lap).”

Race 3: Kevin Kline
5.09pm

“We’re very happy with him - he’s come back a better horse. He went well at Auckland last start and is working well. We’ll be looking to go forward from the gate and hopefully get a gun run through behind Onyx Shard. On ability, he’s the better chance of the two.”

Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.39pm

“He stepped like a bullet in his first go from a stand here in March. I thought he’d do the same on the second day but he galloped. We’ve got an overcheck on and hopple shorteners on Tuesday so he should make a good beginning. If he can step and lead, then maybe take a trail, he should be hard to beat. He likes it down there where the track is quite soft.”

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Thursday night at Manawatu

Race 3: Onyx Shard
6.04pm

“I thought I had Kevin Kline covered on Tuesday when we got to the straight because she was really travelling but he kicked away on us. It would be nice if she can get out of the gate as well again - she has good gate speed - and, if she does, she can get some of it again.”

Race 3: Kevin Kline
6.04pm

“He was too good for them on Tuesday, thanks to a great Fergy drive, and he’s in the same field again this time. The extra distance and wide draw shouldn’t make much of a difference and he’s our best of the night.”

Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.02pm

“He’ll be hard to beat again if he steps like he did on Tuesday. The 10 metre handicap shouldn’t stop him. I think he’s even better if he follows something and the extra 500 metres isn’t a worry.”

Whales Harness