Nowyousee, he looks ready to bounce back
Trainer KS Tan's horse can score after two placings in Group 1 and 2 features
It was around this time last year that Nowyousee captured the Group 3 New Year Cup over the Polytrack 1,200m.
The Tan Kah Soon-trained six-year-old New Zealand-bred has not won since, but has been knocking on the door.
His last two runs were enormous. Based on that, he should be viewed with special attention in Sunday's $100,000 Happy New Year Kranji Stakes A event over the same Poly 1,200m.
In his penultimate race on Oct 25, he finished third to Singapore's sensational find Inferno in the $400,000 Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1,200m on turf.
He followed up with a good second to three-figure outsider Nepean in the $250,000 Group 2 EW Barker trophy over 1,400m on Nov 15, also on turf.
We all know he is a Polytrack specialist. He won his seven races on the alternate surface. So, to return to the Poly is a big plus, not to mention the form that he is in.
For Sunday's assignment, trainer Tan sent the Titanium Racing Stable-owned gelding for a trial on Christmas Eve and what a performance he put up.
His main Sunday rival Excelling led by a big margin but Nowyousee cut back the deficit with a top finish to be only a hair's breadth behind.
Another couple of strides, he would have won. The winning time was good, 59.18sec for the Poly 1,000m.
Excelling beat Nowyousee by 11/2 lengths in a Poly 1,100m race on Jan 31.
But Nowyousee looks set to turn the tables on his conqueror, who now has to concede 7.5kg to him.
When Nowyousee lost, he gave 6kg to Excelling. Now Excelling will have to concede 1.5kg to Nowyousee on Sunday. Well, that is a big advantage.
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