Sir Tiger (Zachary Butcher) is under no pressure to beat Pekeson at Pukekohe today.
Sir Tiger still a little snotty but also a little too good for maidens at Pukekohe
By Barry Lichter • 23 March 2019
Smart two-year-old Sir Tiger showed he had all but shrugged off his virus when he proved too good for a field of maidens at today’s Pukekohe trials.
Sent from the trail after 500 metres by Zachary Butcher, Sir Tiger paced smoothly in the lead and, woken up turning in, repelled a bevy of challengers comfortably to win by a head.
The colt clocked 2:39.7 for the 2050 metres, a mile rate of 2:05.4, home in 59.3 and 28.
It was all trainer Ray Green wanted to see given he says Sir Tiger is still not completely over the virus which has ravaged his team.
“He’s still got a bit of a snotty nose so he won’t be on top of his game yet.
“All the horses on the place have had it or have got it to some degree. It’s very difficult to get rid of. They’re not sick, sick but they’re still snotty.
‘It’s just the time of year when the weather is so changeable and it seems to incubate these things.’’
Green was full off praise for the athletic looking colt. “He’s a son of Sir Lincoln - say no more.
“He’s such a nice, tractable, lovely driving horse who’s a gentleman to work with.
“And he’s a proper little racehorse - he tries hard.’’
Butcher was surprised at how much Sir Tiger has improved in recent months.
“That’s the first time I’ve driven him for a while and he’s really come on.
“He did start loafing a bit today but he runs when you ask him to and he still clocked a 27.5 last quarter.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing him in half blinkers though to help him when it gets down to the nitty gritty.’’
Sir Tiger will have his next start at Auckland on April 5, a race exciting stablemate Line Up will also contest as a lead-in to a Sires Stakes heat at Cambridge on April 18.
Super Easy (Andre Poutama) is about to spring out of the trail but Joey Lincoln is getting rough at the back of the field.Fellow two-year-olds Joey Lincoln and Super Easy are not quite ready for raceday competition.
The pair ran in a four-horse learners’ heat over 2050 metres and both did plenty wrong.
Super Easy, having his first workout since December, was much too keen in the trail for driver Andre Poutama and got very rocky in the run home finishing third, a nose and a neck from the winner Godziller who flew late.
“We’ll plug his ears next time,’’ says Green.
“That’s the first time we’ve trained him with other horses and he got a bit excited.
“He’s a big, gormless thing and he’ll go round and round and get better and better. But he needs time to fill out his big frame.’’
Green is likely to spell Joey Lincoln who broke 400 metres from home, in the same spot as previous misdemeanours.
“I might try him in heavier hopples but he probably needs to go out. It could just be in his head.’’
Butcher says Joey Lincoln got rough 15 strides before he galloped.
“It’s annoying because he’s so well gaited and he’s not sore.’’
More news in Harness
Hopes for a good Friday night at the Park as blinds go on Wave, Sammy and Prince
Sugar Ray signals start of good year ahead with tough win; blinkers for Lincoln Wave
Winners and losers in dates for the new season - your month by month harness guide
Ray: Sammy Lincoln has ‘turned the corner’ and can go on with it on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
