Drive from Napier worth it for Kim but he wasn’t banking on giving the Sir Tiger speech

Napier plastics technician Kim Miller thought he was meeting fellow syndicate members when everyone started shaking his hand at Cambridge on Thursday night.

It was moments after Sir Tiger had opened his three-year-old season on a winning note, albeit by only a neck.

But while there are numerous partners in Sir Tiger it soon became apparent that Miller and his wife Anita were the only ones on course and it was the race sponsors who were congratulating him.

“I ended up having to give a speech - and of course thanked the sponsors,” says Miller.

“But we caught up with the people round at the stables and got our photo taken with the horse.”

Sir Tiger gets up late to beat Spare Change by a neck at Cambridge. PHOTO: Phil Williams/FokusPhotography.Miller wasn’t at Cambridge when Sir Tiger won his first race in June - “it’s hard getting time off work” - but it marked the end of a hiatus in his ownership experience.

It had been four years since his first trotter raced - Tout Noir was looking very good winning four of his first six starts for Brent Mangos before he broke a pastern in the Sires’ Stakes Championship at Auckland.

“I was going to get another racehorse but my wife had a stroke, leaving her partly paralysed on one side of her body, and on one income I couldn’t afford it until we’d paid off the mortgage.”

When that time arrived he came across Lincoln Farms’ website, saw the attractive partnerships offered, and bought into 10% of Sir Tiger.

And now for just $65 a week he’s having a ball following the horse.

“I’m not in it for the money, just the fun of it. And my friends love it too. They want to know every time he races and get as much of a thrill as I do.”

And, yes, you can bet Sir Tiger’s winning photo will be going up on the wall along with those of the four winning gallopers he’s had shares in.

There have been plenty - 20 in all - but only Xenatare really got his heart racing, having won six races when retired in 2001.

Miller might struggle any time soon to meet some of his fellow owners, many of whom live in the South Island. They include Brian Rabbitt, Steve Beckett, Kevin Bell, Michael Brereton and Denis James, long time Lincoln Farms owners who bought into Sir Tiger on the high priced sale of Beaudiene Western last year.

Sharing in the Sir Tiger fun with Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street are Margaret Rabbitt along with the 10-strong women of the Excell syndicate from Hunua - Christine Stuart, Christine Rupp, Lynda Irwin-Parson, Liz Bilton, Sue Donovan, Sue Wilson, Jackie Taylor, Mary Ingles, Sharon Rack and Shirley Arnett.