𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐍𝐨𝐰𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

In the $70,000 Class 3 race over 1200 meters on the Polytrack scheduled for this Saturday, trainer Tan Kah Soon predicted that Nowyousee might return to the victor's circle.

The eight-year-old son of O'Reilly has made 49 starts and has won seven times, beginning with his maiden triumph in October 2017.

But in 37 starts since switching to Tan in April 2019 (although off a very constrained rating of 93), he had just one single victory to show for his efforts.

That victory was at the Group 3 level—the New Year Cup over 1200 meters on the Polytrack at the opening meeting in 2020—but the fact that he finished third behind Inferno at the 2020 Group 1 Lion City Cup, one of 15 finishes under Tan's guidance, demonstrated that his winless streak was not the result of a lack of effort.

Nowyousee entered the race on Saturday following his third attempt at the Lion City Cup on August 14 where he finished eighth. However, two Polytrack finishes earlier, both at the Class 3 level, put him well in the running for the victory if things go his way.

On Tuesday, Tan added, "He's come out of the Lion City (Cup) in good shape.

I had no choice but to race back in that top pack from that gate, but it was a good run coming from that draw (barrier 15). The last 600 meters were gratifying.

"That race had treated him well. He finished behind Inferno in 2020 and wasn't far behind Lim's Lightning in fifth place in 2021, which demonstrates his sincerity.

Tan would like a favorable draw for Saturday, but he believes Nowyousee will succeed anyway.

The son of Dr. Tan Swee Hock, a veteran trainer in Penang, said, "(Jockey) Marc Lerner is back aboard (Ronnie Stewart rode him in the Lion City Cup) and he knows the horse well."

It didn't seem to benefit the on-pace runners at his last start on the Polytrack (July 24), and he performed exceptionally well to finish in that race after a challenging effort.

If we have a nice barrier on Wednesday, he should go close. "We went back from the wide gate (barrier 12) the start before (June 18), when he raced on really well late to run third.

Tan says there are more arrows in Nowyousee's quiver in the future.

Tan, who graduated from the Darley (now Godolphin) Flying Start program in 2004 as one of its initial participants, said of the horse, "He's getting older and may need further."

While we didn't travel to the (Group 1) Kranji Mile this year, that type of distance - or perhaps 1700m on the Polytrack - could be what he is chasing. He wasn't humiliated there last year behind Minister (where he came sixth).

"He is undoubtedly trustworthy, and I believe that he and (seven-year-old) Gold Strike, two of my older horses, have enjoyed the new Polytrack surface (it was re-laid in May of this year), which is fantastic because they both have a lot to offer.

"And keep in mind that Nowyousee was a standout performer under (Trainer) Ricardo (Le Grange) as a two-year-old. Being mentally sound and running so well at the age of eight speaks volumes about the horse.

"Hopefully he can win again for his patient owners, Titanium Racing Stable."

In addition to Zygarde, Tan has three other horses entered in Saturday's $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 event over 1200 meters on the Polytrack. Tan believes Zygarde is another trustworthy jockey worth rooting for.

Tan described the six-year-old, who was born in New Zealand, as "always a large baby."

He used to need a lead pony to take him to the track, but now he leads them out. He was the same size as a three-year-old, but he has now developed psychologically.

He's developed into a really honest horse and hasn't had a poor performance since April of this year.

His victory in May was in Class 5, but since then he has performed well in Class 4. With (jockey) Simon (Kok Wei Hoong) riding on Saturday, he can contribute.