I Got You this time: Lensley runner well weighted in Graduation Plate

Early in his career Now I Got You was the highest rated maiden in the country. As a juvenile, this Corrie Lensley-trained runner finished second on debut and then followed that up by finishing runner-up in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

He finished a neck second behind Mover And Shaker in a Non-Black Type Sales race after which he ran fifth in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

By the end of his two-year-old career he was still a maiden but racing off a merit rating of 105.

So, it came as no surprise that when he finally went into a Maiden Plate in his first race as a three-year-old, Now I Got You was sent off favourite at odds of 2-11. Of course, he won that race with ease and most pundits were confident he would be a force in Classic races that season.

However, it was not to be, and the now four-year-old son of Admiral Kitten remains a one-time winner. He has run a number of places since and he currently races off a merit rating of 95, which is still a bit high.

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But it can work in his favour on certain occasions and that is the case at the Vaal on Thursday, when he lines up in Race 7, a Graduation Plate over 1600m up the straight.

Interestingly, this is the same course and distance over which he won his maiden on 30 August last year, the first time he will be running over this track and trip since his single triumph.

As a one-time winner he will carry just 56.5kg and that will give him a massive weight advantage in this event.

Two runs back Now I Got You finished a 0.30-length second behind Archimides in a Graduation Handicap over 1400m at the course. With his high merit rating he conceded 9.5kg to the winner but as Archimides is now a two-time winner, Phillip Labuschagne’s runner will carry 60kg resulting in a weight turnaround of 13kg in favour of Now I Got You. That puts him in a strong position in this upcoming race.

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The main threat looks to be Tyrone Zackey-trained Home Of The Brave, who has been knocking at the door recently. He races off a merit rating of 89 which means in a handicap he would be getting 3kg from Now I Got You.

However, in this plate race he will be giving 3.5kg to Lensley’s runner. As a result, it comes as no surprise jockey Gavin Lerena has jumped off Home Of The Brave and onto Now I Got You who looks a good bet to notch up his second career win.