Racing: Tiger Tara earns stripes

A top 15 New Zealand Trotting Cup ranking surely beckons for Tiger Tara after his win in the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on Sunday.

The smart 4-year-old held off a late bid from Four Starzzz Flash to make his first winning mark on the open-class scene after running a bold second to Christen Me at Addington last week.

Tiger Tara jumped up to 16th after his second in the Maurice Holmes Vase, and the handicappers will have a conundrum to unpick this week as they work out how much further up the rankings Tiger Tara will jump.

His trainer Geoff Dunn, who owns the son of Bettor's Delight with Bob and Jennie Sandford, said the victory should now give him some flexibility as he plots the path to the second Tuesday in November.

"That should help us in the rankings then we'll assess what we have to do - see how he comes through the run and just go from there really," Dunn said.

Pure Power went to the lead shortly after the start, and the field quickly settled into single file before Anthony Butt went up to sit outside the leader with a lap to go on Pass Them By.

This gave Tiger Tara the ideal spot behind Pass Them By, although driver Gerard O'Reilly still had work to do when Four Starzzz Flash came at him late.

"Gerard did say he's a bit like this - he does it heaps of times - he gets in front then lets them come and goes with them," Dunn said.

"You've got to watch the swoopers but he did it pretty nice in the end."