Distant Past and Lunar Deity among best bets for Leicester
David Metcalf | September 19, 2016
Distant Pass ready to cut a dash
Trainer Kevin Ryan has his team in good shape and Distant Past looks decent value to provide him with another winner in the 5f handicap on today’s card at Leicester (15.30).
The five-year-old was last successful at Musselburgh 15 months ago when scoring by 1 3/4 lengths off a mark of 85 and went on to finish a fine 3/4 length runner-up to Midlander in a class 2 contest at Ascot off 91.
Distant Past is now able to race in this lower grade class 3 contest off 83, 2lb lower than when last successful, and comes into the race having run a stormer to finish third of 19 to Perfect Cracker in the valuable Scurry Handicap at the Curragh when last seen in action.
Kevin Ryan will hope to have a winner in Distant Past as part of Coral’s Leicester best bets.
The gelding was not ideally drawn and was forced to make his challenge away from the main group and, given the way the race panned out, it was a really solid effort in what was a very competitive contest which has thrown-up plenty of subsequent winners.
This represents a slight ease in grade and Distant Past is now reunited with jockey Shane Gray, who has a 33 per cent strike rate on him.
The selection has also bagged what looks a good draw in stall 16 and everything looks in place for a huge run.
Lunar Deity can cash-in on class drop
In the 7f apprentice handicap (17.00), Lunar Deity can take advantage of a big drop in class to land the spoils.
The Stuart Williams trained seven-year-old was last successful in a class 2 contest on the all-weather at Lingfield back in February when scoring by a neck off a mark of 95 and is able to race in this lower grade class 6 contest off 30lb lower.
Lunar Deity looks good to take the spoils in the Leicester 17:00.
It makes Lunar Deity look thrown-in at the weights on the pick of his form and he comes into the race having shaped much better than the bare result suggests in a class 4 affair at Epsom when getting badly hampered and eased before finishing eighth.
That was the gelding’s third run back from a break and he should now be spot on to do hismelf justice.
Another plus is that Lunar Deity hails from a yard enjoying its best season ever with a record 43 successes and everything looks in place for the son of Medicean to get back on the scoresheet.
Leicester selections
14.00: The Stalking Moon
14.30: Show Me Again
15.00: Presence Process
15.30: Distant Past (NAP)
16.00: Uae Prince
16.30: Wrapped
17.00: Lunar Deity (NB)
17.30: Intimately
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