
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 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
Sammy’s back, trialling well, and the bookies are keeping him very safe on Friday night
Ignore the form line, Spirit Of God can answer punters’ prayers in Friday’s get-out stakes
Lincoln Wave poised for cheeky showing at Auckland on Friday night despite ratings
Prince has timekeepers reaching for record books again but where does his future lie?
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.03pm
“He’s had a decent spell and is looking in good nick and I think he should be competitive on Friday as he’s fairly forward. He’s not one who takes a lot to screw down so I’m picking he’ll come to it pretty quickly.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
6.03pm
“He’s training down well enough. The draw’s probably got him covered but he’ll go an honest race. He’s been outclassed a few times but he very rarely goes a bad race.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
8.54pm
“He had surgery to correct an epiglottal entrapment and will probably need the run. I wouldn’t say he’s on top of his game yet but he’s drawn well (one) and steps well so I’m picking he’ll get a nice trip. He’s up there in the grades now but hopefully he’s good enough to get a cheque.”
Race 9: Ultimate Cullect
8.54pm
“She locked on a rein at Cambridge and Andre couldn’t get her to go down into the passing lane. He said she was travelling well at the time. She’ll find this tough and needs a solid pace to be of any effect. A sit and sprint is no good for her.”

