Consistent Sir Tiger has drawn best of Lincoln Farms’ three runners on Friday night.
Sir Tiger needs to show his claws to justify flight south - and he has the draw to do it
By Barry Lichter • 8 May 2019
Sir Tiger has the right draw at Auckland on Friday night to make his mark before heading south to Christchurch next week.
The tradesman-like colt has drawn best of Lincoln Farms’ trio in the third race and from four on the gate has only three lesser performed fillies inside him.
Trainer Ray Green says Sir Tiger will need to put up his hand to justify getting on a flight south early next week where is qualified to run in the $170,000 Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on Friday week. Sir Tiger is also ninth in the rankings for the $150,000 Two-Year-Old Emerald at the Harness Jewels on June 1.
“He doesn’t have to win but he’ll need to go a good race and pull up well.’’
Sir Lincoln colt Sir Tiger has placed in four of his eight starts, the latest at Cambridge on April 18 when he led, then trailed, before sprint laneing for second to Bad To The Bone in a Sires’ Stakes heat.
He looked hard fit last Saturday at the Pukekohe workouts when fourth to stablemate Copy That, staying hard on his back in the run home.
Copy That hasn’t raced for three months but showed again in that workout that he has the speed to handle Friday’s opposition.
And afterwards, driver Zachary Butcher said he thought the horse felt like he was ready to go close in a race.
With Butcher driving at Addington on Friday night, along with Tony Herlihy who handled the colt in his first two races, James Stormont will do the pinch hitting this time.
And while Copy That was drawn badly in seven, Green says that will allow Stormont to nurse him out, and stay out of trouble.
‘It won’t hurt him being a bit wide. We just need to see him get round safely but the ability is certainly there and all he needs is a good trip to go well.’’
Double Or Nothing stretching out well in a recent workout at Pukekohe.Green says Double Or Nothing is also tight enough to feature given the breaks from the inside of the second row.
The Sweet Lou gelding hasn’t raced since running fourth behind stablemate Line Up in a Young Guns heat on February 8, when regular driver David Butcher recommended he be turned out to strengthen up.
“He seems to have got stronger,’’ says Green.
“He’ll obviously be better with the run but he’s good enough anyway to do something and David knows him well.’’
Double Or Nothing mounted a strong run from last on the corner in a workout at Pukekohe last Saturday, and while four of Friday night’s rivals beat him home, driver Andre Poutama was very happy with how he felt.
The previous Saturday he had a more searching workout when he led before finishing second to one of the favourites for Friday night’s race, Infatuation.
Lincoln Farms’ only other runner on Friday night is Governor’s Bay in the sixth race where he has drawn well in three.
But the horse wasn’t able to keep up with the early burn from four last week when he got back, tried to improve four wide turning in, then hung in badly halfway down the straight, finishing sixth.
He meets another strong intermediate grade field on Friday night and would need to stay handy to the pace to be any chance.
More news in Harness
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Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”
