TRAINER Chris Frisby sick of chasing Tiger Tara with his stable star Our Uncle Sam.
In four meetings, Our Uncle Sam is yet to beat Tiger Tara home, but everything favours Frisby’s pacer to turn the tables in Saturday night’s $250,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park.
“This is our chance the way the barriers have fallen and how well we’ve got ‘Sam’ going into the race,” Frisby said.
“If we can find the lead, and I think there’s a great chance we can, we won’t be handing-up to Tiger if he comes attacking. We’ll make him do all the work.”
Our Uncle Sam has run second to Tiger Tara at their past three meetings, including in the Inter Dominion final and Hunter Cup.
“But the difference this time is Tiger is drawn the back row and we’ve drawn so well (gate two),” Frisby said.
“I also really believe we’ve got ‘Sam’ as good as we can have him.
“We were really confident heading into the Sunshine Sprint last week, but Alta Orlando wiped us out at the start and that was the end of that.
“We were due for some luck and we’ve got it with the draws this week. And the 2680m suits him better than sprint racing as well.”
Aussie TAB punters agree with Frisby’s confidence, having quickly backed Our Uncle Sam from $3.60 into $2.80 since Tuesday morning’s barrier draw. He could challenge for favouritism with Tiger Tara already easing from $2.40 to $2.60.
Tiger Tara’s trainer Kevin Pizzuto remains confident despite the barrier draw blow. All of Tiger Tara’s three Group 1 Aussie wins have come from front row draws.
“The draw makes it harder, but I’ve got the horse where I want him. That (Menangle) win the other night was easy and it topped him off nicely,” he said.
“Everything tells me he’s at least as good, if not better, than last time in work.”
Queensland’s pin-up horse Colt Thirty One is the other major player as a $4.80 shot from the back row (gate 11).
He was beaten after burning to hold the front last week, but it again showed he’s at his most lethal coming from off the speed.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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