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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Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
