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You’ll have to ask ornery Sir Tiger how he’s going to go on Friday night - Al can’t tell us

Trainer Al Barnes would happily have handed over the phone to Sir Tiger when asked how he’ll go at Albion Park on Friday night.

That’s because Barnes says only the horse knows what he’s going to do and whether he’ll try his hardest.

It’s fair to say Sir Tiger has well and truly tested Barnes’ patience since arriving from New Zealand and he’s run very much hot and cold since his debut Queensland win back in September.

Barnes eventually gelded the horse, hoping to improve his terrible manners and his efforts on the racetrack.

But while Sir Tiger doesn’t bite so much and is easier to walk from A to B, he’s still difficult to train, wanting to rear and spin round instead of walking during his interval training sessions.

“He’s the type of horse who needs to have a routine but we haven’t been able to because it’s been so hot and you can’t cook him. It was 45 degrees on Monday when we galloped him.”

Barnes has been attempting to up the horse’s workload since he resumed last week as a warm favourite and ran out of puff in his first race for seven weeks.

While hampered in heavy traffic early and forced four wide round the home turn, Barnes says his only real excuse was that he was short of race fitness.

“He had nothing left last week but you can’t put one on his bum in a race anyway or he pulls up.

“Hopefully he’ll improve this time because it’s not an overly hard race. He’s got a horrible draw (four on the second line) so we’ll have to drive him quietly again.”

Barnes had Sir Tiger treated yesterday by a chiropractor who found he was out on both sides of his sacroiliac (a joint at the back of the pelvis).

“It wasn’t bad, just a little niggle, but it might help him.”

At his best, Barnes says Sir Tiger is capable of going round the field, sitting parked, and winning in a 1:55 mile rate.

“But with him, you never know what you’ve got.”

Sir Tiger races at 9.24pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday night.Sir Tiger races at 9.24pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday night.

Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 4: Tyson
6.58pm

“Drawn out wide makes it tough over 1700 metres but he’s been making his own luck. He’s not brilliant out but if he pushes on to be handy he’s got to be a big chance again. He needs to be up there on the pace or he doesn’t try too hard.”

Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.57pm

“You can’t fault what Sugar Ray’s been doing lately, and he’s been getting out with them, so he has to be a serious chance from the inside.”

Race 6: Kevin Kline
7.57pm

“Kev and Sugar Ray are pretty much on a par. Kev never goes a bad race, he’s just such a professional.”

Race 7: Johnny Lincoln
8.23pm

“He’s been racing too keenly but he won’t pull this time. We’ve got a different bit on him so Maurice will have him under control.”

Race 7: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm

“He’ll need to get stronger and you couldn’t see him beating Fugitive from the outside of the arm.”

Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.48pm

“It will be interesting to see what she can do from a good draw - she’s got some speed and if she holds up early she’ll get a good trip. But she, too, needs to get stronger.”

Dan Costello Race Photography