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Local trainer Kuah Cheng Tee is hoping blinkers are the answer to getting Strong N Powerful to race more generously this Saturday.

The son of Golden Archer has run only twice for Kuah, but it was enough for the Singaporean handler to realise there were a few kinks that needed to be ironed out.

"This horse has plenty of ability, but he has a habit of looking around and throwing his head up when he runs. I think that cost him a few races," said Kuah.

"He's been like this all the while, even with other trainers. I've decided to put the blinkers on and see how he goes with them on.

"Condition-wise, he's there already. He just needs that gear to sharpen him up and hopefully he can then get to the line."

Another positive is the reunion with the jockey who arguably knows him the best – Juan Paul van der Merwe. The South African lightweight was aboard at three of his four wins (all over 1400m) during his three-year-old campaign.

At the time, Strong N Powerful was even regarded as trainer Leticia Dragon's rising star.

When contesting the 3YO races, he had actually already turned four due to the racing calendar upheaval brought about by COVID-19, but showed plenty of cheek behind the untouchable Inferno in the two Legs over 1400m (second in the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic) and 1600m (third in the Group 1 Singapore Guineas).

With Inferno leaving Singapore for Australia, the coast was clear for other four-year-olds to shine this year, but Strong N Powerful has been struggling to find the line after he graduated to open company.

Distances were risen, with even a shot at the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) thrown in, but he didn't quite pass muster. A short stint with Jerome Tan didn't help suppress the impression Strong N Powerful was another victim of the ebb and flow of form regardless of who trains him.

But in two starts for Kuah, the last-start fourth to Tiger Roar in a Class 3 race over 1400m on May 1being the most encouraging, Strong N Powerful, who now races under a new outfit, the Chinese-based Flying Wheel Stable, has sent a clear signal he is not past his best yet.

Should he frank that form with a winning turn in Saturday's $85,000 Class 2 race over 1400m, Kuah may raise his aim even higher.

Strong N Powerful  being four, the only two surviving Legs of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1600m) and Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) are coming up on July 3 and 25 respectively.

"We haven't decided yet if we will enter him in the Stewards' Cup and the Singapore Derby," said Kuah, who remarkably won the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) with Forever Young at his first full season in 2017 before adding a second 'black type' with the same horse landing the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy (1600m) three months later.

"His rating (71) needs to go up first. We'll see how he runs on Saturday."

Strong N Powerful's resurgence is actually a little symptomatic of Kuah's own current form. Even if the former jockey only heads a small stable these days, his horses have noticeably been performing better this season, with Flying Yellow taking his score up to six two weeks ago, already bettering his score of five from last year.

Another one of his 2021 winners, Sky Eye  will attempt to go back-to-back in Saturday's $50,000 Class 4 race over 1100m on Polytrack, even if Jason Lim's debutant Crystal Warrior looks hard to beat from what he's shown at his barrier trials and going on his glowing resume.

"Sky Eye is running in a similar race to the one he won at his last start, but it's a stronger field. I hope he can run well again," said Kuah.

"Zyrul (Nor Azman) rides him again as he won on him and knows the horse very well. He does all the work on him.

"The stable is going okay. We are getting the horses right but we must also get the right jockeys on.

"Right now, I have only 22 horses. It's become very hard to get owners to buy horses, but I have to thank my new owners who took over the horses sold by the Strong Stable.

"They are a new group from China. Because of COVID-19, they haven't been able to buy new horses yet.

"My Hong Kong owner Mr Wong Chi Tat (of Forever Young fame) has, on the other hand, bought a couple of new horses. It's very encouraging and I thank him for his support."