Leicester preview: Shady looks the real McCoy

Shady McCoy has been in terrific form this season and can show he is still ahead of his mark by landing another success in the 7f handicap on this evening’s card at Leicester (19.55).

The Ian Williams trained gelding won his first two starts of the campaign in impressive fashion, travelling strongly and showing a smart turn of foot on both occasions to score with plenty in hand.

Shady McCoy then wasn’t seen to best effect in his hat-trick bid at Salisbury last month in a slowly run race.

After being held-up and given plenty to do, the five-year-old was denied a clear passage at a vital stage before keeping on well to be beaten 2 3/4 lengths into third behind Joe Packet.

Given how the race panned out it was a fine effort from Shady McCoy, and one which suggested the son of English Channel would have little difficulty winning races of his current rating of 74.

With underfoot conditions fine and Willie Twiston-Davies, who partnered him to his last success, back in the saddle this looks a nice opportunity for Shady McCoy to get back on the winning trail.

In the 6f handicap (19.25), Dovil’s Duel looks decent value to take advantage of a drop in the weights to score an overdue success.

The Rod Millman trained gelding had not won since landing back-to-back contests in the summer of 2013, with the last of those successes coming off a mark of 65.

Dovil’s Duel is now able to race off a career-low rating of just 60, and that gives the four-year-old major claims from a handicapping perspective on the pick of his form.

The son of Clodvil also showed that he retained enough ability to win a race of this nature when a solid third at Newbury three starts back, and now gets fitted with blinkers for the first time.

Dovil’s Duel also gets the services of Oisin Murphy in the saddle, and he has a 21 per cent when teaming up with the yard in the past 12 months.

His booking suggest connections are expecting a big run, and another plus is that Dovil’s Duel is 1-1 over course and distance.

Selections:
17.25: It’s The Ice
17.55: Jasim Junior
18.25: Saint Thomas
18.55: Curtain Call
19.25: Dovil’s Duel (NB)
19.55: Shady Mccoy (NAP)