Leicester Preview: Golden opportunity for Eagle

Day Of The Eagle takes a marked drop in class in the 7f handicap on this evening’s card at Leicester (8.00) and looks to have been found a gilt-edged opportunity to get back on the scoresheet.

Trained in Yorkshire by the shrewd Mick Easterby, the gelding came good on his third start last season when readily winning a class 5 handicap over 7f at Newcastle by two lengths off a mark of 69.

Day Of The Eagle went on to finish a solid fourth of 11 to Smarty Socks in a class 3 handicap at York off 75, and was then far from disgraced when fifth to Lord Of The Dance over a mile at Carlisle off 76.

The eight-year-old now races off a career-low rating of just 65, and significantly drops into class 6 company for the first time ever.

It gives Day Of The Eagle a massive chance at the weights in what looks a very winnable contest, and the son of Danehill Dancer comes into the race on the back of an eye-catching not knocked about fourth over a mile at Haydock when ridden by a 5lb claimer.

The drop back to 7f, over which Day Of The Eagle has notched four of his five career successes, looks sure to suit and he also now gets the professional services in the saddle of Graham Gibbons.

Gibbons was onboard when Day Of The Eagle was last successful, and the fact he is now back in the plate suggests connections mean business.

In the 1m 2f handicap (7.30), the Michael Scudamore trained Shades Of Silver is going to be very hard to beat.

The gelding bounced back to form when landing a gamble at Nottingham last week, where he led three from home and kept on strongly to readily beat Lord Of The Storm by 3 1/4 lengths.

That was an apprentice contest, and means that Shades of Silver is unpenalised and able to race off an unchanged mark of 55.

It makes the son of Dansili look a handicap blot, especially when taking into account that the four-year-old was once rated as high as 68.

Selections:
5.00: Marigot Bay
5.30: Gen I Am
6.00: Ridge Ranger
6.30: Yaakooum
7.00: Postscript
7.30: Shades Of Silver (NB)
8.00: Day Of The Eagle (NAP)