Al battling to discover why once reliable Sir Tiger’s turned into such a pussy cat

Forget Sir Tiger went round at Albion Park last time - an experiment trying the horse in spreaders backfired and he didn’t try a hard.

Having his first start for three months, trainer Al Barnes had been expecting a competitive effort from the horse given he’d run on well in his only trial.

But fitting spreaders in an attempt to prevent the horse from hitting a splint below his knee proved the wrong move.

“Hayden said he hated them. They changed his gait completely and he didn’t try a yard. He was gone at the half mile and they only went 1:56.”

Sir Tiger was struggling to hold the one out-two back possie well before the home turn and finished 39 metres from the winner, beating only one home.

Barnes says Sir Tiger was plenty fit enough to be a factor last week but he’s not expecting the horse to feature tonight, when he starts from the inside of the second row.

But being buried away on the markers might be the best thing for the horse and allow him to run home, without being pressured.

“It’s all about trying to get his confidence back now so he wants to do it.

“He’s happy enough within himself and his nature’s quite good now, we just have to get him to turn the corner.”

Barnes says he’s consulted Sir Tiger’s former trainer, Pukekohe’s Ray Green about his unexpected drop in form.

“Ray says he was the most reliable horse they had at Lincoln Farms but maybe he just hasn’t adapted to our routine.

“Billy Lincoln on the other hand thrived here before we sold him to the States.”

Barnes says he doesn’t know whether the horse was gelded too late but he says with trial and error he still hopes to find the key to him.

Sir Tiger races at 10.03pm NZ time at Albion Park tonight.