Lingfield Preview: Passing By can exploit drop in class

The well-weighted Passing By takes a drop in class and looks the one to beat in the 7f handicap at Lingfield today (3.30).

Richard Hannon’s filly was placed in both her first two starts as a juvenile at this venue, before making all to score in good style over course and distance on her seasonal reappearance.

Passing By, the daugher of Raven’s Pass, was allotted an opening handicap mark of 77 after that success, but has since failed to trouble the judge in three runs on the turf since stepping up to 1m 2f.

However, the three-year-old’s handicap mark has fallen as a result, and she now gets into this class 5 contest off just 70.

That’s makes Passing By look potentially well-treated now dropped back to 7f and returned to the polytrack surface over which she is yet to finish out of the frame.

Passing By also now drops down significantly in grade, having competed in class 3 company last time out at Salisbury and, with Richard Hughes in the saddle, everything looks in place for a huge run.

Hughes looks to have a fine chance of landing a quick-fire double courtesy of Dominium in the follwoing 6f handicap (4.00).

Jeremy Gask’s gelding won twice on the polytrack at Kempton last year, beating Dream Catcher by 3/4 of a length off a mark of a mark of 68, before going on to slam Pivotal Moment by three lengths off a rating of 71.

The son of E Dubai now gets into this contest off just 69, having posted his best effort for some time at Windsor last time out when fifth to Sarangoo.

That run suggested this seven-year-old was coming back to form, and the return to the polytrack surface over which Dominium has notched three of his four career success is a big plus.

The rare booking of Hughes also suggests that connections mean business, as the champion jockey has had just four rides for the stable since 2006, winning once and being placed on another.

In the 1m 4f handicap that closes the card (5.00), the Sir Michael Stoute trained Mairise looks overpriced as he has now eased in grade.